Rush
by MistressKiko
Summary: Aveyond! After a horrifying experience, Rhen finds herself trying to pick up the pieces. Thankfully, she has Lars to help pull her through. But these newfound feelings... she doesn't know whether to be thankful for those or not... RhenxLars RhenxDameon
1. Chapter 1

**Rush  
Kiko Ayumi**

**Pairing: **LarsxRhen DameonxRhen (OMG Did _I_ really just put that?!)

**Rating:** T

**Warnings: **Offensive language, angst, and some mature situations. I will definitely warn beforehand.

**Planned Length: **Long. I'm going for a novel with this one.

**Updates: **Absolutely random. I don't have much time to sit and write any longer, so I can't promise anything.

**NOTES: **This takes place nearly two years after the end of Aveyond, when Rhen decided to become Queen and wed Dameon.

--

The black steed flew up and over the berry bushes gracefully, his muscles tightening upon the ground's impact. His passenger laughed merrily, leaning forward and flinging her arms around the horse's neck in a loving hug.

"Ready to go again?" Rhen asked the animal excitedly, rising back into position before taking hold of the reins.

"I agreed to a quick horseback ride," a voice spoke, inducing Rhen to turn and face her red-haired companion, "Not watch you two jump over bushes and hedges all day."

Rhen stuck out her lower lip in what she hoped to be a convincing pout.

"But Mayonaka has to train or he'll never be able to jump the hedge in the west garden!" Rhen tried to reason, lightly bumping Mayonaka's sides to get him moving.

Talia merely frowned.

"That hedge is eight feet high. You shouldn't even be jumping over these little bushes! What if you were knocked off?" Talia chastised, watching Rhen take position for another jump.

"I hate total confidence in Mayonaka here," Rhen spoke, patting said horse's neck. As if to answer her, Mayonaka snorted in agreement, before Rhen flicked the reigns. After a short but quick take off, the bush was once again cleared.

Talia sighed, knowing she would get nowhere with the current topic.

"Well you'll have to train at a later time," Talia gave in, grabbing hold of her own horse's reigns, "We have to get you back to the castle. The Druids will be arriving soon and you must prepare."

Rhen immediately scowled.

"I still don't see why we have to have this elaborate party."

"It's your nineteenth birthday! Of course a ball is expected of the Queen," Talia responded.

"But they're boring! You just plaster on a fake smile, greet everyone in a sugar-sweet voice, and, worst of all, do so while desperately searching for oxygen when trapped in one of those complicated, attention-grabbing _poofs_ of a gown!

Talia couldn't help but laugh at the young woman's rant.

"Unbelievable. You've been the Queen of Thais for a little less than two years," Talia began, shaking her head back and forth in disbelief, "and yet you still complain about these petty little things."

"Hardly petty," Rhen grumbled, resigning to her fate and guiding her horse in the direction of the castle.

A rueful smile appeared on Talia's lips, but those lips did not open. She didn't wish to get the young queen riled up before her birthday celebration.

And it was a good decision, for Rhen was incredibly grateful for the following silence.

This topic frustrated her to no end. No matter how hard she tried to adjust to the ritzy lifestyle, it never really clicked. She was so sure she would get used to the socials, the dresses, the whole… formal-ness of it all, especially after nearly two long years!

But something always seemed to be missing.

It wasn't that she hated it; not at all! She loved her kingdom and adored her citizens… but, somehow she knew if she didn't have Talis beside her, helping her through…

If she didn't have Dameon…

Oh, Dameon had most definitely helped her the most. He knew how to act properly, he knew the basics of running a kingdom, and he knew _her_. It was really great to have a true friend by your side.

A lover.

A husband.

Rhen glanced down at the golden band wrapped around her finger with a warm smile, and immediately shook her head in an attempt to get all those negative thoughts out of her hand. She had everything a person could ever want; she shouldn't complain, least she turn into one of the many snobby nobles who were never satisfied with anything.

… Surely that wasn't what was becoming of her…

She scoffed.

She would _never_ stoop that low.

The back of the castle was in clear view now, and Rhen was mildly surprised to see the flags had already been raised. Didn't that mean…

"Oh my- they've already arrived?!" Talia exclaimed from behind her, confirming her thought, "Take Mayonaka and Hiruma back to the stables! I'll go draw a bath for you!"

Within seconds, Talia had jumped off her horse and was promptly pulling Rhen off her own.

"Calm down!" Rhen pleaded, watching the flustered woman run toward the castle. She was left unanswered.

Rhen sighed, tugging her two companions along with her on the way to the stables.

And taking her sweet time in doing so.

'It's just a stupid ball!' Rhen thought irritably.

The horses nuzzled her good-bye and she made sure the stalls were locked tightly before crossing the sun kissed grass of the back lawn to reach the back doors of the castle. She opened the doors, but did not yet go in as a thought hit her.

She turned around and scanned the area with a puzzled gaze.

Where were the guards?

'Even the guards are probably asked to attend.' Rhen thought, rolling her eyes, though she was still confused. If anything, she thought the guard would be increased today.

Shrugging, she made her way into the castle.

The soft clopping of her shoes was the only sound running down the empty hallways, and it was making Rhen anxious. There was still not a guard in sight.

'Oh God… they better not jump out yelling SURPRISE or anything,' Rhen thought, looking down at herself with a frown, 'I'm hardly presentable. Talia wouldn't even _let_ them do something of the sort while I was dressed down.'

She halted when her ears caught the sound of hurried footsteps growing near. Talia flew around the corner, eyes wide in panic upon catching her own.

"Wha-"

"You have to go!" Talia exclaimed, giving no further explanation before grabbing Rhen's arm and dragging her down the hallway. Rhen helplessly followed, frightened by the sudden attitude.

"Talia?! What's wrong?!" Rhen asked, trying to ignore the pain of Talia's fingernails digging into the soft skin of her arm. They would surely leave marks.

"Something's wrong… they aren't acting right," Talia spoke, her own words faltering.

"Who?!" Rhen yelled, frustration lining her confusion.

Talia yanked the door to the ballroom open with her free hand. Rhen's throat constricted at the sight in front of her.

Bodies decorated the marble floors. Guests.

Her citizens.

And they were blackened; shriveled. As if their insides had been sucked out. Their shrunken faces of terror were visible, and Rhen's eyes were glued to those of the nearest body to her; dull and lifeless.

Rhen brought a violently trembling hand up to cover her dropped jaw, her stomach twisting into tight knots.

She thought she would throw up, but a scream came out instead.

Talia quickly shoved her own hand closer to her mouth to muffle the sound, eyes wild as she turned Rhen away from the sight. She forced Rhen's tearing eyes to lock onto her own.

"Don't look. Run with me," Talia ordered, not even waiting for a response before pulling the young queen once more. Rhen followed numbly, stubbornly keeping her wavering gaze on the back of Talia's head.

"Why? Who..?" Rhen mumbled helplessly, the tears beginning to escape down her cheeks.

Talia quickly stopped, nearly making Rhen run into her. Rhen's heart jumped when she noticed a force field of purple lightening appear around the way out, and that very force field was soon surrounding every visible door.

Trapping them.

Talia clutched at her shoulders, and Rhen vaguely took note of her shaking hands.

"I'll transport you," Talia spoke, her body being surrounded by a green glow. Rhen panicked.

"Wait! What's going on?! You can't just send me off!"

A huge surge of bright light came from the right, and before Rhen could identify what it was, Talia's hands were ripped from her shoulders. An agonizing cry echoed within the room as Talia was flung to the ground after being hit, burns searing the visible skin.

"Talia!" Rhen yelled, rushing to her fallen friend and dropping to her knees. To her intense relief, Talia was still breathing, though it looked painful to do so.

But…

That bright light.

She'd seen it before.

Her head felt extremely heavy, but she managed to pick it up and look in the direction of attack.

She could _hear_ her heart break when she saw Dameon standing there.

Why, why, _why_?!

"_What_ are you _doing_?!" Rhen yelled hysterically, trying to keep her tears down so she could still see clearly. She felt helpless and utterly stupid to be sitting there, too confused to know what to do, what to say. Everything had just happened so quickly… her mind was having trouble grasping it all. The man she loved had just attacked her best friend! The best friend who was trying to get her to safety! Her people were lying dead on the ground next to her!

There had to be a reason. _God_, let there be a good reason!

Let it be some terrible _nightmare_!

'I'll go to the ball! I'll enjoy it, I swear! Just let me wake _up_!' Rhen thought, but to no avail. Dameon stood emotionless, eyes staring straight through her.

And _God_, it hurt.

She found it hard to breath when Dameon began glowing again, eyes trained on spot next to her. Rhen looked down at Talia, who was now slowly trying to sit up.

If she was hit by that again…!

Rhen scrambled to get in front of Talia right before the second attack was launched. She put her hands out in front of her, creating a shield. She grit her teeth together tightly as the immensely strong power hit.

"Druids," Talia wheezed from behind her, catching Rhen's attention, "They're being controlled by something."

"Controlled?!" Rhen exclaimed, just as the attack finished with a final burst of power. Rhen let out a short scream as she was thrown back into Talia, who grasped the girl's arms.

Tears streamed out of Rhen's eyes as pain assaulted her senses. Her hands felt like they were boiling.

"I feel Ahriman's power," Talia whispered, making Rhen jump.

Ahriman?!

He was _dead_! _Gone_!

She had defeated him with her own two _hands_!

"That's not even possible!" Rhen screamed, turning her wet face around to look at Talia. The girl smiled sadly, and Rhen's eyes widened when she noticed the green glow surrounding her. "Don't se…!"

Her words were cut off as Talia's image grew blurry. There was a whirlwind of colors, a rush of wind, and she suddenly found herself staring at a forest.

The air was heavy with humidity, something she hadn't felt in years. The bright sun was obscured by the canopy, and sounds of wildlife bombarded her ears.

A purple spider stood a few yards away, inspecting the new creature with curious eyes.

The Eastern Aisle.

The minute she registered where she was, the fear, betrayal, confusion, and agony came back full-force. She doubled over, allowing her body to slump against the cool ground as her tears rolled down blades of grass. They were tears of silence; she didn't even have to energy to sob.

Eventually, her fatigue got the best of her, and she fell asleep, praying that when she woke up again, this really would all be a dream.

--

Something hard was pushing against her arm, succeeding in shaking her form.

Rhen pried her heavy eyelids open, and settled her gaze on the clouds above as she was slowly brought back to reality.

The hard thing that had been pushing against her was now gone, but so was her drowsiness.

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up as quick as a rocket, looking around desperately.

The trees, the grass, the dirt, the heavy air… she was still on the Eastern Aisle.

Then… it wasn't a dream.

"Oi! Are you a run-away slave or something?!"

Rhen whipped her head to the left, body tense. A man stood a few feet away with one eyebrow raised in question, and a slight snarl pulling at the corner of his lips.

The voice was too real… she could _feel_ the grass beneath her fingertips.

Tears sprang to her eyes, uninvited.

The man standing next to her looked extremely surprised by the sudden show of tears.

"Er… hey, wait a minute! Rhen?"

Rhen blinked, a tear escaping before she looked back up at the man in wonder. Firm build, shaggy dark brown hair, amber eyes…

"Hector?" Rhen whispered hoarsely, frowning at her own voice. Her throat was extremely parched.

"What the hell are you doing out here? They kick you out of your own country?" Hector jibed with a smirk. Rhen swallowed harshly as the words nearly stung her physically. A sob escaped her, making her throat hurt worse.

The smirk fell from Hector's face, and he had the decency to look at a loss as he glanced around at nothing in particular, frowning.

'My country,' Rhen thought bitterly, 'I wonder what's become of my country… God, I left Talia there alone! And Dameon… Dameon…'

"Look!" Hector suddenly exclaimed, angered by the fact he felt so uncomfortable at the moment, "Whatever it is, get over it! It's not like crying about it's going to help anything."

Though the words were harsh, they clung to Rhen. Warning bells went off in her mind.

'He's right… he's completely right! If the Druids are being controlled… everyone's in danger! I can't let others end up like… them…'

Determined, Rhen quickly wiped her tears away and stood, not even bothering to brush off her dress before stalking toward Veldarah. Hector was caught off-guard at the attitude change, and dumbly watched her walk away before shaking his head and running after her.

"Hey wait!" Hector exclaimed, waiting until he was walking next to her before continuing, "Where are you going?"

Rhen spared him a glance.

"I have to talk to the Empress," Rhen spoke.

Yes, the Empress. She had the power to warn other countries, which was exactly what they needed to do, before it was too late. But when _would_ it be too late? How long had she even been sleeping there?

"You're going to see the Empress like _that_?!" Hector asked, repulsed as he gestured toward her worn, dirty apparel and muddled hair. Rhen looked down at herself before tossing a glare his way.

"That's not important right now," Rhen replied as they walked through the front gates of Veldarah. Hector snorted.

"Mind telling me what's so important, then?"

"Why the hell would I tell you anything? We weren't exactly best buds," Rhen snapped sarcastically.

"Humph. Still a bitch."

"A bitch who now outranks you."

Hector flushed.

"At least I was never a slave!"

"Now you're making excuses."

The bickering pair walked onto the castle grounds, growing quieter after the guards sent irritated looks their way. The guards were also shooting quizzical looks at her appearance, of which Rhen chose to ignore.

"You're actually going to follow me inside?!" Rhen exclaimed as she approached the front door. Hector crossed his arms, and gave her a look that clearly read, 'duh.'

"You won't tell me what's going on, so I'll just find out myself!"

"Like you care," Rhen muttered bitterly, before swinging open the castle doors. Seeing the marble floors beneath her feet quickly brought back horrid memories, and she tried her best to shut them out. She began walking faster on instinct.

"Empress!" Rhen called, making herself known as her feet carried her closer to the throne. The Empress had apparently been talking to someone standing in front of her, who swiftly moved out of the way and turned around.

Rhen was mildly surprised to see Lars, whose eyes widened.

"Rhen..?" Lars asked in surprise.

But now was not the time to catch up with old friends. Her eyes locked on the Empress.

"Thais has been taken over. You have to warn all the nations!" Rhen exclaimed, inwardly relieved to pull the statement off without her voice breaking.

The Empress's expression grew grave at the news.

"How has Thais been taken over?" She inquired, gesturing to nearby guards to come closer to her. A weight settled in Rhen's stomach, causing it to churn uncomfortably.

"I don't… they're being controlled… the Druids… Dam..," Rhen stopped, not being able to say her husband's name. She held up her hand, examining it for the first time since she had protected Talia. The burn wasn't terrible, at least the skin was still intact. But… her wedding ring, she noticed, had been damaged.

The urge to cry again was coming on strong, and she willed it back with all her might, not wanting to make a fool of herself in front of everyone. She wouldn't let herself become weak… not when they _needed_ her.

Rhen gasped when a hand took her own, and she was surprised to see Lars standing right in front of her. Had she zoned out…?

"How injured are you?" Lars asked, examining the burns on her hand with furrowed eyebrows. Rhen hastily pulled her hands back.

"_I'm_ fine! It's Thais and it's surrounded regions you have to worry about!"

Lars's eyes narrowed, dismissing the statement and grabbing hold of her hands again. A cool sensation flowed through her fingertips, and Rhen realized Lars was using his healing ability.

"I'll send warning immediately," the Empress spoke, grabbing Rhen's attention once again, "I can see you're shaken. Rest for now, but I will want answers later."

Rhen nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She doubted she would be able to get any rest, but maybe she could collect herself.

"Heh, rest where? Out in the forest again?" Hector asked sarcastically. Lars looked up, as if noticing his friend's presence for the first time.

"In the forest?" Lars inquired. Rhen sighed.

"Don't ask. I'll just get a room at the Inn, it's no problem," Rhen assured, pulling her hands away once the cold energy stopped. She breathed a sigh of relief, thankful she wouldn't have to be mindful of taking hold of things.

Lars rolled his eyes.

"You'll come to Shadwood," Lars said before turning back to the empress, "We'll continue our discussion at a later time. I'm taking her to the academy."

As the Empress nodded, Rhen's cheeks puffed up in anger.

"An order right off the bat, huh?" Rhen asked, irritated. Lars looked surprised for a mere moment, like he hadn't even noticed he gave an order, before smiling.

"You were expecting something different?" Lars teased, grasping her shoulder to turn her toward the exit. Rhen scowled, stepping out of his hold and walking toward the exit. Lars sighed, staring at her back worriedly. Hector fell in step beside him, raising a brow.

"The Druids being controlled? Is that even possible? I thought they were all-powerful or something," Hector inquired.

"Which means whoever is behind this is extremely powerful. This is bad," Lars stated, his mind trying to come up with a source of such great power, but since Ahriman's defeat, he couldn't think of one powerful enough to accomplish such a feat.

"I found her sleeping in the forest. You may want to ask her about it," Hector replied, to which Lars gave a short nod.

"Go hunting or something."

Hector was caught off-guard by the out-of-context statement.

"What?"

"She won't talk to me if you're there," Lars explained at if it were the most logical thing in the world, "It's what you were going to do when you found her anyway, right?"

Hector scowled.

"Oh sure, shove your best friend aside when the girl comes alo- OW!"

Hector rubbed his sore head as Lars continued to walk as if nothing happened. In front of them, Rhen turned in question, merely smirking at the sight of Hector in pain. Hector scoffed, veering off on another path at the next opportunity to do so.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what'd he do this time?" Rhen asked over her shoulder once Hector was out of earshot.

"Nosy one, aren't you?" Lars asked with a smirk.

"It was just a question!"

The two made their way into Shadwood. Rhen looked around, feeling warm as the familiarity sunk in. She had truly gone far in life, hadn't she?

'And it may be over soon.'

The thought sent chills up her spine.

"Follow me," Lars instructed, making his way toward the students' rooms. A few people waved to Lars on their way, some even bowed, and Rhen looked on with interest. He was apparently well-respected in the place now.

"Did you become a professor here?" Rhen asked, watching as he turned his ear toward her, "You're getting a lot of greetings."

"I'm a professor, but I think the whole greeting thing is more about me being one of the people who defeated Ahriman," Lars replied, opening the door in front of him, "I'm just glad no one's really recognized you yet."

At the mention of Ahriman, Rhen started.

_"I feel Ahriman's power," Talia whispered._

'He's come back before… could it be possible…?' Rhen thought, dreading the answer. In front of her, Lars opened the door to an unoccupied room, and stepped aside to clear the path.

"You can rest in here. And get cleaned up; you're a mess," Lars said, earning a glare from his companion.

"Thanks," Rhen spoke dryly, walking into the room. The minute her eyes fell on the bed, relief flowed through her veins. She immediately plopped herself down on it, one arm dangling off the side as she sighed.

"Rhen," Lars spoke, mildly irritating the girl who just wanted to sleep at the moment, "Can you tell me what happened?"

Rhen's grip tightened on the sheets beneath her.

She hadn't heard him close the door, so that meant he was waiting to see if he was going to go or stay depending on her answer.

Did she want to talk about it…?

"I'll… tell you tomorrow," Rhen replied, her voice muffled by the pillows. There was a silence for a brief moment, and Rhen nearly thought Lars would ask again, but that thought was diminished by the sound of footsteps.

Upon the soft click of the door, Rhen knew she was alone.

Her heart beat sped up, a voice screaming in her head telling her she didn't want to be alone, especially at a time like this.

'Lars is right out there, and so are a lot of people!' Rhen berated herself in her mind, eyes fluttering shut. Even though she knew such a thing was futile, she couldn't help but once again wish all of it would disappear by the next time she awoke.

--

Lars woke up to the bright sunlight peeking through his window and the birds' sweet morning singing.

He had no time to sit and enjoy it, though, as he flung himself back down on the mattress with an irritated sigh. He hardly got any sleep last night, his mind too preoccupied with thinking of the current situation.

Rubbing his drooping eyes, he got out of bed. Though he was tired, the urge to talk with Rhen was stronger. He found himself extremely anxious to hear about what happened, in detail. When she had brushed him off yesterday, he had almost wanted to refuse to leave until he got answers, but he couldn't bring himself to do such a thing when he remembered her anguished face in the palace throne room.

And why was she _here_, of all places?

If Thais had been taken over, she was undoubtedly a target. He couldn't think of any reason why a place like this would be a good hideout, especially because she had lived here before. And as far as getting someone to warn the nations, there were many more influential and powerful people than the Empress.

With these thoughts knocking at the back of his brain, he made his way into the Shadwood dining hall. It was crowded and loud, as it was every morning, and Lars's eyes searched through the lines and seats for the familiar lavender hair, but to no avail.

Was she not up yet?

His eyes did catch sight of the Headmaster, however, and lingered.

Maybe he would know something!

Lars weaved in and out of the crowd until he was able to take a seat by the said person, whom looked up in greeting.

"Good morning, Lars."

"Morning, sir," Lars replied, giving a quick bow out of respect, "I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind?"

The Headmaster set his fork down and turned his full attention to his subordinate.

"Rhe… Miss Pen… er, Miss…," Lars frowned when he couldn't even recall Dameon's last name, "Rhen is here."

He figured it'd be all right to refer to her with her first name around the Headmaster. He'd know exactly who he was talking about.

Sure enough, the Headmaster's eyes widened.

"She is? Whatever for?" He asked curiously.

"That's the problem. I don't know many details, but Thais has been taken over. Rhen said the Druids were being controlled."

The Headmaster's face grew considerably paler.

"What has been done about it?!"

"The Empress has just sent word of warning to the nations, but other than that…"

"The Oracle," the Headmaster interrupted suddenly, "I believe she would be the one to talk to."

Lars had nearly forgotten about that old hag.

"Morning!"

The two men looked up as Hector took a seat across from them, placing a full tray of food on the table.

Lars noticed the apprehensive look on the Headmaster's face.

"Don't worry, he knows," Lars assured.

"Talking about Thais, I'm guessing?" Hector asked, buttering a roll, "The queen has officially locked herself up in her room!"

Lars looked alarmed at the news.

"Didn't you try to get her out?"

"I told her I'd make sure nothing was left to eat if she didn't hurry. I think she threw something at the door."

Lars smirked before standing and turning to the Headmaster.

"I'll let her know of your suggestion," Lars said, leaving Hector to inquire what that suggestion was.

Lars let out a long sigh as he walked down the hallway. It had actually scared him when Hector mentioned she'd locked herself in her room… what if she had planned on hurting herself?

But the worry disappeared as soon as Hector said she threw something at the door.

After all, that was normal. So she was ok.

He wriggled the doorknob to find it still locked.

"Rhen," Lars announced, tapping on the door, "open the door already."

He heard some shuffling from inside and a definite click, before the door slid open.

Irritated blue-violet eyes met his own.

"He is more annoying than you ever were," Rhen drawled.

Lars snorted.

"Should I take that as a compliment or not?" Lars asked, shutting the door behind him. He noticed the girl must have taken a shower, and she was now dressed in a sword swinger uniform.

"I don't know," Rhen sighed, sitting on the bed and looking up at Lars sullenly, "You're going to make me talk now, aren't you?"

Lars raised a brow.

"I'm not going to _make_ you do anything, but I'd like to know," Lars responded.

"Great! Then I won't say anything!"

"Rhen!"

Rhen chuckled before her gaze fell to the floor. After a moment of silence, Lars was a little irked.

"Fine. I'll talk to you, then," Lars spoke, getting Rhen to look up in surprise, "The Headmaster suggested you go talk with the Oracle."

A dark cloud settled over Rhen's eyes.

"And what if she's being controlled as well? What if they planned for us to go to her?!"

The thought hadn't crossed Lars's mind, and he had to admit, it was a frightening possibility, but…

"What other choice do we have?" Lars inquired.

Rhen bit on her lower lip, and Lars could practically see the gears in her head frantically turning for another way out.

They were unsuccessful.

"But I'd need food and weapons and transportation… I couldn't possibly ask for all of that!"

"You're a former student here, you defeated Ahriman, and you're the Queen of Thais. I highly doubt the Headmaster will refuse those things to you."

The word 'Ahriman' made Rhen wince, and she was glad Lars didn't seem to make the connection.

"But…" Rhen tried, but ended up sighing in defeat at Lars's pointed stare.

"Then it's settled. We'll leave for the Northern Aisle tomorrow morning."

Rhen's head shot up in surprise.

"We?"

"Of course 'we.' Like I could let a screw-up like you go alone," Lars reprimanded, hiding his smirk by turning around and walking toward the door. He heard a strange noise of frustration come from the girl behind him.

"You are such a jerk!"

The closeness of her voice told Lars she was following him.

"I thought we established that a long time ago," Lars replied calmly.

The irritated groan turned into a small laugh.

"Thanks, Lars," Rhen spoke in all honesty. Why Talia had transported her here of all places, she didn't know, but she was exceedingly glad she had.

The Headmaster wasn't hard to locate, being at the same spot he was before, Hector included. When the Headmaster spotted Rhen, he stood up and offered a warm smile and open arms.

"Rhen, my dear, it's been a long time," he spoke, encircling her. Rhen smiled and hugged him back.

"This place hasn't changed a bit," Rhen remarked, trying to see through the unsettlement in his eyes. She didn't want pity.

"So, are you gonna go see the Oracle?" Hector asked, the plate in front of him now completely cleared, "And what'd you throw at me this morning anyway?"

"The clothing chest," Rhen responded immediately, causing Hector to bust out laughing, "You wouldn't be laughing if the door hadn't been there."

"Rhen?!"

The new voice came from the left. A girl with hot pink hair done up in two buns stood gaping at the young queen.

"It _is_ you, isn't it?! Oh wow, I can't believe I'm seeing you again!" She gushed.

"Rhen?"

"The Queen of Thais?"

"Oh my God, where?!"

"Well shit," Lars muttered, glaring at their quickly surrounding crowd. Rhen stood, flustered by all the newfound attention, and tried to paste a smile on her lips.

"Ok, settle down everyone!" The Headmaster exclaimed, making the room grow considerably quieter, "I'm sorry to say Miss Maurva does not have the time. If you'll excuse us."

'_That_ was Dameon's last name!' Lars thought.

There were groans of disappointment as the crowd cleared a path to the front doors. Rhen threw a thankful smile to the Headmaster, and followed him out the door, sending a few apologetic looks to those around her.

"Now we can speak without any interruptions," the Headmaster explained once outside.

"Jeez, I don't see how you're _that_ big of a deal!" Hector exclaimed.

"Why the _heck_ did you even follow us?!" Rhen retorted.

"Anyway," Lars cut in, stepping between the two, "We've decided to go see the Oracle and we ask for the essentials and a boat."

"_We_? You're going with her?" Hector asked, rolling his eyes.

"A boat?" The Headmaster inquired, furrowing his eyebrows, "A boat would take too long. A dragon is what you'll need."

"But we'll be wasting time sailing a boat down to the Southern Aisle to get one!" Rhen protested.

"There are a breed of dragons that live on this aisle now," the Headmaster replied.

"Around the forest, right?" Lars asked, not believing the idea had not come to his head, "If we leave now, we'll be able to get there before sundown."

"But what about a rider?" Rhen asked. To her disgruntlement, Hector grinned widely at the question.

"Hector has ridden dragons before," Lars informed her, warily eyeing Hector. The guy was his friend, sure, but to let him go on a journey such as this…

"No. Way," Rhen gritted vehemently, pointing a finger at Hector, "He is _not_ coming with us!"

"Hmph! Then I guess you'll just be little turtles then!" Hector replied, crossing his arms. Rhen looked positively torn and downright annoyed.

"Isn't there another dragon rider in Veldarah?" Rhen pleaded to the Headmaster. But he merely shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but no, not that I know of."

Rhen groaned and chanced a look at Hector again, who was definitely enjoying himself. Oh, how she wanted to punch that smirk right off his face!

"He's not _that_ bad," Lars tried to console, "If you remember, you were completely against me joining you at first as well."

"I wonder why," Rhen muttered dryly, and Lars frowned, actually a bit offended by the comment, "Fine! He'll come, whatever! Let's just go."

Hector practically cackled, much to Rhen's displeasure. Lars rolled his eyes at Hector's antics, knowing he was purposefully trying to rub it in.

"I'll get your supplies ready in a jiffy, then," the Headmaster explained, heading back inside the academy.

"Thank you," Rhen said before facing the other two, "I'm going to go around back so I can get my last few seconds of peace before we have to go."

The jibe was clearly aiming toward Hector, and he continued to smirk.

"It won't take very long," Lars informed. Rhen nodded and turned on her heel. After she was out of earshot, Lars turned to Hector with a frown. "You do know what you just got yourself into, don't you?"

"Yeah, some awesome entertainment!" Hector exclaimed, quickly getting hit in the head afterward, "Ow! What the hell?!"

"This is serious, Hector!" Lars yelled, pleased to see Hector shrink back, "Something that can control the Druids?! Do you know how much power we'll be up against?!"

Hector muttered under his breath, pulling his crossed arms tighter.

"I know, ok? Jeez, can't a guy have a little fun?" Hector asked, looking in the direction Rhen had disappeared, "And anyway, it gets her mind off everything for a while, doesn't it?"

Lars was surprised at the confession. So there was an ulterior motive to all the bickering, huh?

It sounded a lot like what he did.

"Why are you staring at me like I just had a baby?!" Hector exclaimed.

"I'm wondering about your intentions."

"… Intentions. You know you sound like a father cornering a boy about to go on a date with his daughter, right?"

"Hmph. All I'm saying is you hardly know her, other than when she was a slave. So I'm wondering why you're being nice."

"As if I didn't hear enough about her from you! You're my friend; I know you care about her, so I'm not going to push her off a cliff. Sound fair?"

Lars looked a little embarrassed at the first half of that little speech, and huffed, making his way passed Hector and toward the school. Hector rolled his eyes, and turned to follow.

--

So, how was it? X3 Read and review, pretty please with a cherry on top!


	2. Chapter 2

**Rush**

KikoAyumi

**Pairing: ** LarsxRhen DameonxRhen (OMG Did _I_ really just put that?!)

**Rating:** T

**Warnings: **Offensive language, angst, and some mature situations. I will definitely warn beforehand.

**Planned Length: **Long. I'm going for a novel with this one.

**Updates: **Absolutely random. I don't have much time to sit and write any longer, so I can't promise anything.

**NOTES: **This takes place nearly two years after the end of Aveyond, when Rhen decided to become Queen and wed Dameon.

**Chapter 2**

---

"I am glad to see you return." The Empress stood upon their arrival, and the three set their heavy bags at their feet before lurching forward in a short bow.

"We've decided to borrow a dragon and go see the Oracle for advice," Lars explained.

"And they _need_ a dragon rider, so I will be accompanying them," Hector spoke smugly, receiving a glare.

"Are you sure, one-hundred percent _positive_, there is no one else in this city who can ride a dragon?!" Rhen exclaimed frustratingly, but to no avail. Hector just grinned.

"This," the Empress spoke, holding up a sheet of paper, "arrived a little while ago by a messenger dragon. It seems that Veldt has been sending warning as well; they are able to see an ominous dark cloud stretching through the sky in Thais's direction."

Rhen's irritated mood died immediately. The news sent her stomach churning, and the harsh reality came slamming back into her head. This was really happening. The Druids were really being controlled, her people really were in danger, see had really left Talia to defend for herself, Dameon was really… Dameon had looked right _through_ her! God, she felt sick. Then something stung her nose. Snapping back to reality, she noticed Lars standing right in front of her.

"If you start crying, I'll do more than flick your nose," Lars threatened. Rhen felt as if she'd been sucker punched. What the hell was _that_ about?! Did he not have a single ounce of sympathy in his veins?! Couldn't he see how devastated she was about all of this?!

"You..! How can you sa-"

"This is good news, Rhen," Lars said, more softly this time, "This is proof the nations are being warned, right?"

Rhen blinked back the tears that were starting to form. Staring into honey brown eyes, she understood. He was just trying to be positive... for her sake. Her stomach was still twisting into knots, and she still felt the insane urge to completely break down, and she reasoned, she _should_ feel that way. But what would be accomplished then? She managed a shaky smile, but couldn't bring herself to speak. Lars seemed to accept it, for he gave her a curt nod before turning back to the Empress.

"We'll be off, then." -

---

"So… what's this Oracle person like?" Hector inquired right as they reached the front gates of Veldarah. There had been a tense silence ever since they had left the castle, Rhen still in a minor state of shock after what she'd been told.

"She's a crabby old woman," Lars answered immediately.

"Che, figures," Hector replied, frowning.

"She's not that bad," Rhen spoke, but the words were dull and said nearly absentmindedly. Lars looked at her with furrowed eyebrows.

"Rh-"

"Lars!" At the sudden shout, the three looked ahead to see a woman running toward them. Rhen blinked in surprise, taking in the taller girl's appearance with a sense of familiarity. Where had she…?

"Ylitta!" Hector exclaimed, eyes practically lighting up as the girl stopped in front of them, though her sky blue eyes were specially trained on Lars. Rhen's mouth dropped open. 

_Ylitta? _

That little pigtailed brat?!

Rhen almost didn't believe it. The woman in front of her was… well… really pretty, to say the least. This girl just couldn't be…

"Ylitta," Lars greeted with a smile. Rhen was dumbfounded.

"How've you been?! I hardly get to see you anymore," Ylitta spoke solemnly, tapping two fingers together as a small pout took over her lips.

"I've been great!" Hector beamed, throwing his hands behind his head, "Passed my magic compression test with flying colors, you know!"

"That's nice," Ylitta replied, barely giving Hector a glance before focusing on Lars again, "The annual Shadwood Search is coming up soon, right?"

Rhen had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Hector couldn't keep his eyes off the girl… and she clearly didn't give a damn.

"Yeah, it's supposed to be coming up, but I won't be able to go this year," Lars replied. Rhen's eyes widened.

"Wait, you mean you won't be able to go because you're coming with me, don't you?" Rhen asked, narrowing her eyes, "You idiot! Don't just drop your responsibilities!"

Lars looked appalled, and Ylitta looked over as if she'd just noticed her presence. Sky blue clashed with violet, and Ylitta's jaw dropped.

"Peta?!" Ylitta yelled, pointing an accusing finger at said girl.

There was a momentary silence. After letting the horrid nickname sink in, Rhen's face fell in irritation. Seeing the look on Rhen's face, Hector burst out in laughter, followed by Lars's light chuckles as he covered his mouth, trying to force himself not to laugh.

"Hello, Ylitta," Rhen responded dryly, not amused in the least.

Ylitta looked about ready to cry as she looked back at Lars, still pointing her finger.

"What is she talking about?! Where are you going with her, you cheater?!" Ylitta whined, causing Rhen to start.

Cheater...?

Apparently the comment had a similar effect on the other two, for the laughter stopped immediately, Lars looking annoyed and Hector looking depressed.

"We're not together, Ylitta," Lars spoke, trying to hide the irritation dancing around in his eyes. Ylitta looked heart broken for a mere moment before hope sprung back on her face.

"That's only because you haven't agreed yet!" Ylitta exclaimed, clasping her hands together behind her back, "I can change that!"

Lars sighed, running his hand through the hair on the back of his head uncomfortably.

"Sorry, Ylitta, but we really have to get going," Hector apologized in a low voice, as if he was scared of speaking.

"Where?" Ylitta inquired, eyeing Rhen warily again.

"We're going to Aveyond. I'm sorry if you came here to see me, but I'll have to talk with you later," Lars spoke, brushing passed her. He continued to walk down the path as Ylitta whipped around to stare after him with a frown on her face.

"I'll bring you back something!" Hector suddenly exclaimed, jumping in front of her with a smile, "What do you want? A dress, or jewelry...?"

"I don't want anything," Ylitta said, waving her hand in front of her face, "Just make him come back soon, 'kay?"

And with that, Ylitta made her way through the gates of Veldarah.

Rhen observed the kicked puppy look on Hector's face before it became frustration. Hector whipped around and began stomping toward Lars.

"Jeez, I don't understand you!" Hector exclaimed, and Rhen followed close behind, listening in, "She throws herself at you and you never give her the time of day!"

"The engagement is my mother's idea," Lars replied, looking back over his shoulder to be heard easily.

"Your engaged?!" Rhen suddenly yelled in shock, and Hector looked at her with wide eyes.

"I know, can you believe it?! How can he treat her so horribly?!" Hector practically squeaked. Lars's eyebrows twitched, and he stopped walking to turn and face them.

"First of all, you have no right to lecture me about that when all you do is hassle Rhen," Lars growled, crossing his arms, "And second of all, no, I'm _not_ engaged. My mom _wants_ me to marry her."

"Rhen is annoying and hardly has any breasts; that's totally different," Hector argued.

Rhen flushed red.

"You...!" Rhen spoke through gritted teeth, veins popping through the skin on her hands as her fingers gripped the air in warning. Hector quickly took a few giant steps to get out of the crazed girl's reach. With a huff, Rhen crossed her arms, walking into the forest, "You guys are so _shallow_!"

"Hey!" Lars exclaimed indignantly, "I didn't say anything!"

"Like you aren't like that too!"

"I'm not! In fact, I'm really romantic!"

"HA!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"You and romantic do _not _go together."

"Well, sorry we can't all be saps like _Dameon_!"

Hector shot Lars an odd look just as the sorcerer's eyes widened in realization. Rhen looked stunned before she turned her head, hiding her face from the two boys.

Lars cursed under his breath, silently berating himself for saying something without thinking it over beforehand.

The strange, tense atmosphere swallowed them whole once again. The crunching of their feet against the grassy ground amplified against the silence, broken only by a far-off bird's call.

Hector absentmindedly began tracing the bottom of his shirt out of pure boredom. The seam felt rough against the skin, he heard the bird's call once again, the crunch crunch crunch of footsteps…

"This is not going to work," Hector suddenly growled, startling his companions, "Someone talk."

Rhen kept walking as if she hadn't heard him, and Lars simply frowned, still looking a little guilty from his previous sentence.

"Ok then," Hector spoke again, attention on Lars, "Who do you think will replace you in the Shadwood Search?"

Lars shrugged, and nearly didn't answer until he saw Hector's warning glare, "I don't know. To tell you the truth, I'd forgotten all about it. Heck, it'll probably be postponed, anyway. No one will want to risk traveling at a time like this."

"…You know, you basically just called us idiots," Hector drawled.

"_We_ don't have a choice," Lars replied quickly.

"No, you two didn't have to come. You _are_ idiots," Rhen piped in. Lars twitched, biting his tongue to avoid snapping.

He understood that she was hurting, and due to this, she probably just wanted to vent her anger out in some way. The problem was, he was _not_ known for keeping his cool. And neither was…

"You ungrateful little brat!"

…Hector.

"You know what, you're absolutely right! Lars doesn't have to go with you; you obviously don't care either way! And I most certainly don't have to go, since you don't want me here in the first place! So how about I just stop right here and drag Lars back to Veldarah with me?! We'll see how you do on your own!"

Hector had stopped walking in the middle of his speech, eyes boring holes into Rhen's back. Lars knew he would never let Hector drag him back to Veldarah even if he wasn't joking, but he stayed quiet, eager to hear how Rhen would respond to the threat.

"…This forest got denser," Rhen said eventually.

"…Huh?" Hector spoke dumbly before gritting his teeth, "What kind of ans-"

Lars slapped a hand over his friend's mouth before he could finish the sentence.

"You were wanting someone to talk, weren't you?" Lars asked with a smirk, before turning to Rhen, "You notice the weirdest things."

Hector looked dumbfounded. What the heck was this?!

Lars, however, was fighting the urge to smile.

Stubborn girl.

She didn't want to be alone, but she wouldn't admit it.

"Yeah, well," Rhen started, looking behind her for the first time since the awkward silence had settled, "This was my first big adventure after I was released from slavery, after all."

Hector slapped Lars's hand away and sighed, deciding if Rhen was willing to talk again, he might as well go along with it.

"I still can't believe you zapped Lars with a _stick_," Hector snorted, smirking at Lars. Rhen grinned as Lars scowled.

"That just may have been one of the greatest moments of my life," Rhen laughed, followed quickly by an enraged, "Hey!"

"You got owned by your own slave. It's alright, buddy," Hector spoke with false sympathy, patting Lars's shoulder.

"Never knew you would take her side, _buddy,_" Lars bit back, shrugging the hand off his shoulders. Hector's eyes widened in alarm.

"I- I'm not taking her side, it's just funny, is all!" Hector exclaimed, and Rhen tilted her head with an unbelieving gaze.

"And here was beginning to think you were an all right guy," Rhen sighed dramatically.

"As if I need your acceptance!" Hector rebutted.

Rhen snorted, waving a hand in the air, "Ah, a zap like that was hardly enough payback anyway."

Lars winced. She was playing around, sure, but it was still a blow to his pride. Being next to her while she discovered her true identity, while they traveled the world and faced many ugly struggles and beautiful sights alike, Lars had discovered the bright, spirited girl underneath the depleted status and rags.

He had actually seen it early on, but was too stubborn to bring himself, his family, in the wrong. But the girl was contagious, and bit by bit, she had rubbed off on him.

Naturally, after his obstinate mind finally broke its chains, the guilt came banging on the front door. And even though he had degraded himself by apologizing, had created a rocky, yet substantial friendship, and had gotten the opportunity to receive a smile, not a smirk, but a true smile from her... he believed he would never, no matter what he did, completely erase the guilt in his heart.

But now that she was back again, free from the duties of royalty if only for a while, he silently made an oath to try his hardest to do so.

She deserved every bit of it.

... God, when did he get so sappy, anyway?!

Rhen smirked at the glare sent her way, unable to hear the inner monologue.

"Give me a break; you were my slave!" Lars tried to reason.

"Heh, you must have really driven him crazy, too," Hector commented, shoving a thumb in Lars's direction, "He hasn't gotten another slave since!"

Rhen's eyebrows shot up in surprise, a smile crossing her lips.

"Wow, Lars, I'm proud of you!" Rhen exclaimed with a small laugh. Though it was said to tease him, she was seriously pleased with the news.

Flustered, Lars tossed his head to the side before hissing, "Who would want to put up with another you?!"

"I hardly doubt there would be another me-eee!"

The impact of the ground sent a shock through her hands and knees. The grass was inches away from her startled eyes, and Rhen slowly looked over her shoulder.

A perfectly innocent tree root was jutting out from the ground, mocking her current position with glee.

Hector very nearly joined her on the ground after doubling over in laughter, taking in huge gasps of air to keep him living. Lars stayed in shock for a few moments more, before joining Hector with a vigor.

Rhen flushed in embarrassment, scrambling to sit up properly.

Had she just _tripped_ over a _tree root_?!

"Stop laughing!" Rhen squeaked, wishing she would be swallowed up into a black hole as she glared heatedly at the near-hyperventilating duo in front of her, "Ugh, you're both _jerks_!"

She felt the urge to pound her fists in the ground and throw a fit, but that would merely increased her embarrassment, she reasoned.

Lars wiped the tears forming at the corner of his eyes, approaching her. Still chuckling, he offered her his hand. Rhen stared at the hand, slightly surprised by the gesture, before looking back up at his laughter-flushed face. She smiled, then giggled, before laughing at herself and grasping his hand tightly.

Lars hauled her back on her feet effortlessly.

"Clumsy," Lars remarked with a wide smile, which was quickly answered with a, "Bastard."

"Jerk to bastard already. I'm being promoted pretty quickly," Lars ribbed, just as Hector took in another huge gulp of air.

"Ha... haha... and _you _defeated Ahriman..?!" Hector asked, holding his stomach. Rhen glared, before looking around her. Seeing something useful, she smirked, and Lars watched curiously as she walked to the edge of the brush. Bending down, Rhen hefted a large log in her arms and turned to Hector with an evil glint flashing across her eyes.

"There's no door protecting you now!" Rhen yelled before charging. The laughter stopped immediately, and Hector's eyes widened to three times their size before leaving a trail of dust in his wake.

"CRAZY WOMAN!" Hector shouted, his accusation echoing off the surrounding trees. Lars laughed, running to merely keep up with the other two. As he watched Rhen's braid swing back and forth, a sense of relief filled him.

The longer they could keep her thoughts away from everything, the easier it would be. For that reason, though he thought he might regret even thinking this later on, he was glad Hector had come along.

The chase continued until they were well away from the woods, and walking within visionary distance of the vast ocean.

Rhen was irked to find Hector a faster runner than she. After understanding it was a useless attempt, she had abandoned the log, and now the three were once again walking in a group, Rhen between the two guys.

Hector observed the ocean, watching the waves slosh against the surface of the water, before glancing Rhen's way. He nearly jumped when he found her still glaring daggers at him.

"So er..." Hector started, hastily looking away again, "What's it like up north, anyway? I've never been off the Eastern Isle."

Rhen sighed, turning to Lars, "Why did you suggest someone who doesn't even know where we're going?"

"The average person doesn't exactly get to explore the entire world like we had to. And you needed a dragon rider, didn't you?" Lars replied.

"I want John back," Rhen complained, knowing it was a useless wish. They simply didn't have the time to retrieve him.

"Who's John?" Hector inquired, slapping at a fly buzzing around his head. Rhen looked at him in surprise.

Had Lars not explained their adventures to him? That seemed highly unlikely. She was not able to ask, however, before Lars spoke.

"John was a pirate who got a break from the law by becoming a woman's fourth husband," Lars smirked.

"Fourth?" Hector asked incredulously, "What's scaring these guys off? Is she ugly or something?"

"You are so _shallow_!" Rhen proclaimed, pinning him with her stare, "And as a matter of fact, she's a gorgeous woman!"

"_Your_ tastes don't count," Hector snorted in reply.

Rhen opened her mouth to argue, but was cut off by Lars's reply, "You'd like her."

'Oh, yeah, probably because she has 'big breasts,'' Rhen thought, seething upon remembering Hector's earlier comment.

She looked down.

They weren't that small...

Rhen's head snapped back up.

_WHY_ was she thinking about this?!

"I just may have to meet her, then," Hector says with a grin.

"Right after we told you she's married. You're despicable," Rhen grimaced, making Lars chuckle.

"I don't think you understand what I meant, Hector. She's never been divorced. The women of Veldt are allowed to have more than one husband... she literally has four," Lars explained more clearly, watching Hector's eyes widen.

"Are you _serious_?!" Hector yelled, his upper lip pulling upward, "What kind of demented law is that?! Nevermind, I wouldn't want a woman like_ that_!"

"Don't you dare bad-mouth the women of Veldt!" Rhen warned.

"Are you telling me you're for something like that?!"

"It's their custom! To each his own!"

"I think you're the demented one!"

"You-!"

"Alright, children," Lars berated, gently knocking on his head, "I'm getting a headache now."

Rhen snorted.

"Funny you should say that, since that's what was always said about us."

"Were we really that bad?"

"_Were_?" Rhen answered with a grin. Lars grinned back.

Hector rolled his eyes before speaking, "Sorry to break this little bonding moment, but we're here."

Rhen turned her full attention to the sights ahead of them, missing the deadly look Lars threw at Hector.

A small white house was first to catch her attention, situated at the very edge of the woods and facing toward the ocean, large windows sending a gleam from the far-off sun. Morning glories twisted up the sides and wrapped themselves around the windowpanes, growing all the way to the roof and around the chimney, of which white smoke floated out of. A white fence sprung out from behind the house, stretching nearly to the ocean's feet and running further than the eye could see.

A shadow raced along the ground, advancing fast, and Rhen looked up just as the shadow swallowed her. She was able to catch sight of a light red underbelly and a swishing tail before it disappeared behind her. She turned to follow it, a sudden wind nearly pushing her forward.

"Whoa, we're taking that one!" Hector exclaimed excitedly, "It looks fast!"

"Could you _handle_ something like that?" Lars spoke doubtfully. Hector puffed his chest out.

"Of course I can!" He spoke proudly, and Rhen simply rolled her eyes.

"Welcome!" A man spoke, now standing in the doorway of the white house as they approached, a spark of recognition in his eyes, "Hector! It's been quite a while!"

"Ajax! How's that leg been?" Hector greeted, dropping his gaze to the man's left leg. Ajax let out a deep laugh, shaking his head.

"No big deal. Healed like a charm," Ajax replied, just as a young woman poked her head out of the doorway.

"'No big deal', he says. I was running around for weeks trying to help you around the house," she spoke, chastising, before turning to Hector with a bright smile, "It's great to see you again! Who are your friends?"

"Aw, but you love your old man enough to do that for him," Ajax responded jestingly, swinging an arm around her shoulders before turning to hear the answer to his daughter's question.

"Good to see you too, Adriana. This is Lars and Rhen," Hector replied, pointing to the individual as he said their names. Rhen gasped and placed a hand over her heart in mock astonishment.

"Did you just introduce me as a friend?!" Rhen exclaimed with wide eyes, earning a chuckle from Lars and a snort from Hector. Adriana suddenly looked worried, glancing between the two.

"You mean you're together…?" Adriana asked, obviously taking the statement the wrong way. Hector and Rhen both looked disgusted.

"HELL NO!"

The reply was spoken in perfect unison between the two, and it made Ajax and Adriana jump in surprise.

"Oh... I'm sorry," Adriana apologized. Rhen raised an eyebrow at the girl's tone. She didn't really _sound_ sorry...

Oh jeez, did this woman _like_ Hector?!

How could you like _that_?!

Lost in her thoughts of revolting disbelief, she was startled by a quick, warm rush of air hitting her back. She whipped around to see a giant blue eye inches away from her face.

"Gah..!" Rhen exclaimed, stepping backwards in surprise.

The owner of those blue eyes stared at her, analyzing, keeping its large, coal body behind the white fence. Rhen shifted uncomfortably under the intense stare, and watched warily as the dragon extended its neck farther, breathing another wave of hot air on her face before...

A bright pink tongue darted out from between its lips and left a wet trail on Rhen's cheek.

Rhen blinked, the wet spot on her cheek tingling, before a smile broke out on her lips.

"Looks like she's taken a liking to you, miss," Ajax spoke as Rhen gently placed a hand on said dragon's nozzle. The dragon leaned forward again, nuzzling Rhen's neck, throwing Rhen into a fit of giggles.

"What's her name?" Rhen asked, rubbing her hands over the slick black scales.

"That's Solaris. Really sweet girl," Adriana answered.

"I'm taking her!" Rhen exclaimed.

"What?! I'm the dragon rider here; I should get to choose! And what is this? You're choosing a dragon before you even see how she can fly!" Hector rebutted.

"She's sweet and we're taking her," Rhen contradicted, glowering at Hector defiantly.

"But-"

"Just let her have Solaris," Lars interrupted, staring blankly at Hector's thwarted face. Rhen sent Lars a thankful smile before sticking her tongue out at Hector in triumph.

"Take?" Ajax inquired.

"My muffins!" Adriana suddenly shouted in dismay, rushing into the house. Ajax sighed, shaking his head back and forth with a smile.

"Why don't you all just come in and explain things to me? You may get some burnt muffins in the process," Ajax barbed, stepping inside and leaving the door open behind him. After Rhen gave Solaris one last loving pat, the three travelers followed him inside, Hector grumbling about injustice under his breath.

---

**This chapter was a little shorter than the last, but I promise each chapter of this story will be between 10-20 pages. **

**Some notes:**

**Clearly, this story will revolve around the 'cheating' issue, because Rhen is married. Do I condone cheating? Not at ALL. But, this is just a piece of fiction, and it makes for an interesting plot. But that issue doesn't even come up for a while yet.**

**About Ylitta... I really hope I didn't make her look like a typical Mary Sue or anything. That was NOT my intention, and I actually tried to steer clear of that the best I could. But she didn't really appear for too long, so I didn't have much time to work with her.**

**Does Rhen seem a little too happy? Well, she's a strong, determined girl, so she tries her best to set aside her problems, if only to not make others worried about her. But, now and then, the depression takes a hold of her and she can't help but get emotional. That's how I want her to be portrayed, at least...**

**The whole 'Rhen tripping over a tree root' thing... no, there was absolutely NO reason for that. It was completely random. 'Cause you know what; that's how real life is. I've found that so many stories make everything happen for a reason... and that's not how it really works. So yes, she fell just because.**

**A note for the first chapter:**

**A horse IS able to jump over 8 feet. I researched the records to make sure of this, so it's not unrealistic.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Rush  
KikoAyumi**

**Pairing: **LarsxRhen DameonxRhen (OMG Did _I_ really just put that?!)

**Rating:** T

**Warnings: **Offensive language, angst, and some mature situations. I will definitely warn beforehand.

**Planned Length: **Long. I'm going for a novel with this one.

**Updates: **Absolutely random. I don't have much time to sit and write any longer, so I can't promise anything.

**NOTES: **This takes place nearly two years after the end of Aveyond, when Rhen decided to become Queen and wed Dameon.

**Chapter 3**

---

"We'd be honored to lend Solaris to you," Ajax spoke kindly, watching them through wary eyes.

Over ice-cold goat's milk and blueberry muffins, of which were only a little crunchy along the edges, Rhen had spilled her guts yet again. Amazingly, she got through it with dry eyes, but she had also carefully avoided mentioning Talia or Dameon.

"I can't believe the Queen of Thais is in my house!" Adriana exclaimed, seating herself by said girl with bright eyes, "I've heard all the stories! You're amazing!"

Rhen smiled, through she was a little embarrassed by the undivided attention.

"And your husband; what a hunk!" Adriana sighed dreamily, unaware of Rhen sitting up a little straighter, "I wish I could be lucky enough to snag someone like that!"

Adriana's eyes slyly flew to Hector as she said this. Upon seeing Hector wasn't even looking in her direction, she pouted.

Rhen visibly blanched.

Did this girl really just compare Hector to Dameon?

Now _that_ was a laugh.

"We should be going soon," Rhen commented, looking toward the window. The adrenaline was rushing through her veins. Every time she heard Dameon's name, she was reminded of the little time they had.

And not knowing exactly how much time that was was nerve-wracking.

What if they couldn't make it…?

Hector groaned in annoyance to her left, setting his now-empty milk glass on the table.

"Can't we just rest here for a while?" Hector complained, earning a disapproving stare.

"You baby. We'll be doing a lot more walking than that," Rhen replied.

"We'll have the dragon!"

"Dragons are large creatures; they can't go everywhere. Are you really _that_ weak?"

"Who are you calling weak?!"

"Who am I talking to?"

"Hmph! Alright, we'll go right now!"

"No, no. You have to rest your poor little feet. We'll give you time to recover."

"You little brat!"

Ajax watched with a mirthful smile as the two argued before turning his gaze to Lars. The young man was sitting on the window seal, staring out into nothingness in what appeared to be deep thought.

"Something wrong, boy?" Ajax hollered, grabbing Lars's attention, "You've been mighty quiet."

Rhen stopped her argument to look at Lars. Now that Ajax had mentioned it, Lars _had_ been pretty quiet since they entered the house.

Lars simply shook his head.

"I've just been thinking about the whole situation," Lars answered, pushing himself off the window seal and walking over to join them.

Rhen stared at Lars. The sorcerer was usually pretty open about his ideas; she found it odd that he'd isolate himself to think.

"Let's go already!" Hector prodded. Rhen's insult was permanently stuck to him, and he felt the intense need to prove her wrong.

Rhen inwardly congratulated herself for the reverse psychology, and didn't protest as she stood.

After many thank-yous, good-byes, and good-lucks, Lars, Rhen, and Hector found themselves in a wide-open field with Solaris ready and willing to go.

"You'll ride in the middle," Lars spoke to Rhen as Hector, somewhat begrudgingly, placed the bridal on Solaris's face.

"Why?" Rhen inquired.

"If we get attacked, the safest place for you to be is in between us."

"… I don't want to have to hold on to _him_," Rhen pouted, giving Hector a dirty look. Lars rolled his eyes.

"So you'd be fine with holding on to me?" Lars responded sarcastically.

He most definitely hadn't expected the immediate, "Of course!" that spilled from Rhen's lips.

Lars stared at her, conflicting emotions dancing within his amber depths before he turned away.

"You have no choice," Lars answered finally. Rhen continued her pouting.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm not too happy with the arrangement either," Hector drawled.

"Aw, you're trying to make me feel better?"

"You wish," Hector replied as he climbed up the dragon's back and situated himself at the front. Rhen looked at Lars, who motioned for her to get on the dragon. With an overly dramatic sigh, she obeyed. Lars chuckled at her behavior, climbing up after her.

"Alright," Hector said, mainly to himself, as he took hold of the reigns. Rhen vied for fisting the cloth of Hector's shirt instead of wrapping her arms around him. "And we're off!"

Rhen had to hold in a squeak as Solaris took off with a vigor.

"What the hell, Hector?!" Lars yelled, wrapping his arms around Rhen's torso.

"I knew this dragon was worthless!" Hector exclaimed, trying to slow down. Solaris glared, and dipped suddenly, throwing them off balance.

"Don't insult her! You're the rider!" Rhen yelled, reaching forward to grab his hand, "Stop pulling so tight! You're choking her!"

Hector did as he was told, and their pace slowed considerably.

"What kind of dragon rider are you?! ... Ow!" Rhen exclaimed, feeling a tug on her braid.

"Sorry, it's hitting me in the face," Lars said from behind her. The image made Rhen laugh.

"Just tuck it into the back of my shirt," Rhen offered. She felt the strands tickle her back as he took her advice.

"It's her, not me," Hector said stubbornly.

"I'm not even going to reply to that."

"You just _did_."

"Seriously," Lars cut in, speaking loudly in order to be heard over the rushing wind, "How much training did you have?"

"I've ridden two or three dragons," Hector replied, making Rhen blanch.

"Two or three?! We're going to die before we get anywhere!" Rhen spoke, aghast.

"It was a minor mishap, stop being a baby! I'm in control of the situation!"

"Because I told you how to not _choke_ her!"

"Can you two not argue for a while?!" Lars suddenly yelled in exasperation. Rhen whipped her head around.

"You're the one who suggested he come with us! Why should I listen to you?!"

"For the last time, we didn't have a choice."

"I refuse to believe there was no one else," Rhen replied stubbornly, staring down at the waves of water below, "Ugh, you both drive me crazy."

She knew the massive headache was coming even before it surfaced. Sure, it was the same pointless banter as always, but a girl could only take so much. Her mood had severely declined within a few minutes, leaving her on edge and quick tempered.

And it was stupid. Deep down, she knew she was grateful to Hector, even if he was inexperienced and hadn't taken the time of informing them of that fact. What if there really hadn't been another dragon rider in the area and he had refused to take them? Then they would currently be on their way to the Southern Isle by boat, losing precious time and effort.

The guy was just so easy to dislike.

And Lars was only trying his best to help. She had to admit, she really hadn't expected Lars to volunteer to come along with her. Maybe the thought was harsh, though. Lars, through everything they'd been through, had proved himself to be a reliable and worthy friend, even with his little annoying tendencies.

Rhen took a deep breath, once again finding herself thankful Talia had transported her to the Eastern Isle.

… Talia…

"So… what's it like up north, anyway?" Hector inquired. Rhen quickly pounced on the chance to keep her mind from drifting off to depressing thoughts.

"All the snow makes everything really beautiful. And the Snow Queen's palace is amazing!" Rhen replied. Hector was taken aback, not expecting her to reply, much less nicely.

"'Really beautiful.' That _would_ be something a girl would say. I'm more concerned about what there is to do; hunting, especially," Hector quipped

"You asked, so I responded! Jeez, you have to complain about everything, don't you?" Rhen asked, letting go of his shirt and leaning back, "I refuse to touch this guy!"

Lars's hold on her tightened.

"Then slow down, Hector," Lars cautioned, making Rhen's eyes widen.

"Wait, wait!" Rhen called, grabbing his shirt again, "Fine! We can't afford to slow down."

"Make up your mind, woman!" Hector exclaimed, shaking his head.

Lars was the only one aware that he did not loosen his hold after Rhen's change of mind.

---

"It's freaking _cold_!" Hector complained.

"It's the Northern Isle. Were you expecting anything else?" Rhen asked blandly.

They had just landed the dragon, thankfully with little problems, on the edge of snow-covered forest and were busying themselves with strapping the bags of supplies to their backs.

"Here," Lars caught their attention, holding up a bulk of clothing he had just fished out of a bag, "These cloaks will keep us warm."

Hector jumped on the opportunity, snatching the cloak and throwing it over his shoulders. Rhen followed suit, pleased when the heavy cloth blocked out the quickly falling snow swirling around them.

"Damn, I wish I had my hunting gear with me," Hector grumbled as they entered the dense forest. A few oxen stood off to the side, peering at them cautiously behind a large tree trunk.

"Be on guard. The animals here have bad tempers," Rhen cautioned.

"How do you know that? It's been two years since you've been he--!!!"

The ground jerked, and with a thundering rumble, it threw Lars and Rhen off balance, and Hector straight in the snow.

"What that an _earthquake_?!" Hector exclaimed, startled, and still able to feel the trembles vibrating through the ground.

Rhen blinked before turning to Lars with disbelief written all over her face.

"Are they fighting again?!"

"Déjà vu," Lars muttered before his voice rose, "What the heck could it be about this time?"

"What are you talking about?" Hector asked as he stood, grimacing as he brushed the snow off his pants.

"The Snow Queen and Mountain King get in fights a lot… and this is what happens," Rhen replied.

"They were fighting the first time we came to the Northern Isle too. I personally don't think the people here are safe under the rule of those two," Lars expanded, frowning.

"They aren't bad rulers. They just… have tempers," Rhen chose her words carefully, but Lars still snorted.

"Just another reason not to get married," Hector commented.

"Like there's a girl who'd want you anyway," Rhen ribbed, smirking. Hector's responding glare was a harsh one.

"Other than the dragon keeper's daughter, anyway," Lars cut in. Hector blinked, raising an eyebrow at Lars.

"… Seriously?"

Lars and Rhen laughed, shaking their heads at the clueless boy.

"Huh. Well, no matter," Hector said, facing forward.

"And why is that? She not pretty enough?" Rhen asked, annoyed. Hector hesitated for a split second, enough to make Rhen curious, before he turned to her with a smirk.

"Of course."

Rhen was tempted to throw her supply bag at his face.

"God, my fingers are going to freeze off!" Hector whined, curling said fingers into the warmth of the cloak.

"It gets warmer in Aveyond," Lars informed.

"Ugh, we'll have to face all those annoying bees, won't we?" Rhen asked sullenly.

"If it weren't for those 'annoying bees,' we wouldn't have graduated from Shadwood."

"Yeah, well, they sure didn't make it easy. The beeswax was hell to get, and that smoke bomb stung my eyes!"

"And you say Hector complains."

Rhen stuck her tongue out at Lars, not caring if it was a childish move or not. It was actually refreshing to be able to do something childish without having to look over her shoulder and see if people were watching. God forbid someone of royalty be caught doing something undignified.

The ground shook beneath them again, this time strong enough to bring all three of them to the ground. Hector growled in annoyance.

"Cold air and wet clothes. Perfect," Hector said sarcastically, standing up as soon as he could.

"The cave to Aveyond is right up there," Rhen pointed out, pushing the snow off her as she walked. Hector perked, quickening his pace subconsciously.

The cave's shelter from the wind and snow was unbelievably welcoming to all three travelers. The walls and ceiling were rounded and covered in icicles of varying sizes, their reflection giving the cave a seemingly light blue tint. Their destination was unable to be seen because of the cave's twists and turns, and as they traveled farther in, darkness settled.

Lars gripped his staff, the charmed orb emitting a much-needed glow.

"The cold is getting more tolerable now," Hector noted happily. Rhen turned to look at him, placing a finger on her lips.

"Keep your voice down. Those icicles may be ice, but they're sharp. Wouldn't want them to fall."

The icicles were beginning to shed droplets of water by the time the exit came into sight. Rhen scowled at the sound of buzzing bees.

"Holy- is that a _mushroom_?!" Hector exclaimed as soon as they walked into the sunlight, walking over to the giant blue mushroom with his mouth wide open in awe.

"Thought you didn't care about the sights," Rhen teased. Hector purposefully pretended not to hear the comment as he brushed his fingers over the mushroom's skin.

A bee suddenly flew in between Hector's face and the mushroom, glaring as if the mushroom were its property. Hector frowned, shooing it away with his hand. Angered, the bee stuck its stinger out.

"You little..!" Hector grumbled, digging a dagger out from his pocket and slicing the bee before it had the chance to sting him.

Apparently the death of their comrade encouraged a swam of angry bees to approach.

"I told you they were annoying!" Rhen exclaimed, zapping them with magic. Lars smacked a few of them to the ground with his staff.

"At least they're weak," Hector shrugged, bending down to wipe his blade on the grass, "Where is this Oracle chick anyway?"

"The Sun Shrine isn't very far from here," Lars answered. They rounded the corner, Hector avidly looking around in child-like excitement. Rhen couldn't help but smile at the sight, especially when Hector had sensed her gaze and tried to appear stern.

Almost at the exact moment they passed the Mule Express, a white cat came running out of the opening in the plateaus to their left.

"Rhen! Lars!" Morsel exclaimed, stopping a few feet away. Hector sputtered.

"Morsel!" Rhen exclaimed in greeting, bending down to try and better reach the cat's level.

"It's such a relief to see you. Teacup Town has been informed of the trouble in Thais," Morsel spoke.

"Is this cat _talking_?!" Hector suddenly yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Morsel. Morsel looked up at him, confused.

"How rude can you be?!" Rhen yelled back, before turning back to Morsel, "I'm happy to hear news is getting around."

"Rude?! I think I have every right to be surprised as hell right now! Giant mushrooms and talking cats… what did I get myself into?!" Hector exclaimed, running a hand through his hair.

"This is Teacup Town. They are all talking cats," Lars said.

"There are _more_?!" Hector proclaimed in disbelief.

"Who is this guy?" Morsel whispered while watching him freak out.

"His name is Hector. He's Lars's friend," Rhen spoke curtly before changing the subject, "Have you had any troubles with your voice box?"

"Nope! The harpies have left us alone since you taught them a lesson!" Morsel replied with a smile, "You're heading to see the Oracle, I'm guessing?"

Rhen nodded in affirmation, and Morsel continued with a, "Good luck."

"Thank you," Rhen spoke honestly before standing up straight.

"Anything else you need to warn me about before we go on?" Hector asked, awkwardly waving good-bye to the talking cat.

"There are some trees that like performing the waltz up here," Rhen stated, making Hector's eyes widen. Lars made an awkward noise while trying to keep from laughing out loud.

Unfortunately, his laughter and the way Rhen's upper lip kept twitching called her bluff.

"Ha, ha, very funny," Hector grumbled, not amused.

"I thought so too," Rhen replied brightly.

After rounding another corner and climbing up the steep plateaus, their feet touched the solid, concrete walkway leading up to the Sun Shrine's doors. Rhen felt jittery just seeing it again.

"You can see everything from up here!" Hector exclaimed, walking backwards to survey the lands.

"Uh… Hector…"

"Behind you!" Lars shouted.

Before Hector could respond, a searing pain ripped through his shoulder.

"Gah! What th- you little bastard!" Hector raged when he turned to see a bee flying off. Ripping his dagger from his pocket, he ran after the 'little bastard.'

"That's going to swell," Lars muttered, dropping a bag to the ground and pulling it open, searching for some ointment.

"HA!" Came Hector's cry of victory from somewhere behind the Sun Shrine. Rhen giggled at his stupidity, bringing a hand to her mouth to hide the smirking.

"Are you ok?" Lars asked suddenly. Rhen looked at him, questioning.

"Uh… yeah," Rhen replied, watching as Lars gestured to her hand with a swift tilt of the head.

"You're shaking," Lars concluded. Rhen quickly dropped her hand to look at it. Surely enough, he was right, and she inwardly cursed her telltale body.

"I'm just nervous," Rhen mumbled, clasping her hands behind her back in an attempt to hide the shaking. She glanced at the Sun Shrine, eyes resting on the sun symbol hanging above the door.

She fiddled with her wedding band absentmindedly.

"Damn!" Hector hollered, walking back to them, "This thing itches!"

"You idiot. Come here. I'll put something on it," Lars offered, retrieving a small white container from the bag. Hector scowled.

"We can do that inside the Sun Shrine! I'm not taking any clothing off in this cold! … And don't call me an idiot!"

Lars shrugged, throwing the bag over his back as they ventured up the ivory steps of the temple.

"Oh, thank the Gods!"

The minute they walked inside, Rhen's face was buried in a puff of gray while her body was squeezed. She quickly turned her head and took a surprised breath. Hector smirked at her predicament.

The Oracle drew back, but kept her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"I'm so glad someone was able to escape! How did you do it, Rhen?" The Oracle rasped. Rhen's eyebrows furrowed at the odd-sounding voice.

"You know about everything?" Lars asked, waiting for Hector to remove his shirt so he could put the ointment on the wound. The Oracle frowned, tilting her head higher.

"Of course I do! How could I not notice Ahriman's negative energy?!"

Lars's jaw dropped.

"Ah… Ahriman?!" Lars yelled, shaking his head, "Have you finally gone batty, old woman?! Ahriman is dead!"

"Talia said that as well," Rhen spoke softly, eyes downcast, "Talia is the one who got me out; she transported me to the Eastern Isle. She said the druids were being controlled by what felt like Ahriman's power."

"… And you didn't tell me this?!" Lars exclaimed, eyes narrowed in resentment. Rhen winced and refused to look his way, even to look up.

"Don't yell at the poor girl," the Oracle berated. Lars 'humphed,' glowering at nothing in particular on the temple wall.

"So… then what do we do?" Hector inquired, wincing. Because of his sudden anger, Lars was absentmindedly pushing against the wound a little too harshly. The Oracle turned to him with skeptical eyes.

"I don't believe I've met you."

"Hector Witton," Hector replied curtly, annoyed with the dubious look.

"He's trustworthy," Rhen advised, backing out of the Oracle's hold and making Hector's jaw drop, "Like he said, what should we do?"

The Oracle brought her hands together, placing the fingertips on her chin as she thought.

"There is only one solution I can think of. I'm not even one hundred percent positive on this, though," the Oracle explained, making Rhen's heart drop, "The legendary swords. If we could combine them all, there is a fighting chance."

"The legen- but they were scattered across the world for protection! I don't even know where they are!" Rhen exclaimed in dismay. A thick silence settled.

"… Then we'll find them," Lars answered finally, still staring at the wall. Rhen turned to him with wild eyes.

"Do you really think we have the time to do that?!"

"Do _you_ really think we have a choice?!" Lars growled, glancing at her through narrowed eyes. Rhen's lips tightened, she being the one to look away this time. The aggravated look he was giving her was crushing, and the dwindling hope even more so.

"The swords are more than likely to be guarded by the most powerful people, or at least those people should know their whereabouts," the Oracle reasoned.

There were four isles, filled with cities and caves and forests and deserts, and there were other islands out in the ocean on top of that… Rhen's head was spinning with all the possibilities. It would take way too much time! How many more people would be hurt? Would die? Or even be controlled?!

Her eyes stung from prickling tears.

"Oi! Don't cry!" Hector exclaimed, exasperated, though his eyes portrayed worry. Rhen stiffened before whipping toward him.

"I'm crying because I have to be with the likes of _you_ longer!" Rhen shouted falsely, hurriedly wiping away the tears that managed to escape and desperately trying to calm herself. Hector didn't take the bait, choosing to stay silent as he stared at her with a tight frown. He understood the statement was untrue, and that she was only trying to fight off the harsh reality.

He had to admit, if only to himself, that she really was a strong girl.

… Yeah, he was definitely only admitting that to himself.

"Start by talking with the Snow Queen," the Oracle suggested, placing a comforting hand on Rhen's shoulder, "Don't give up hope, young one."

Rhen gave a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Thank you for your help," Rhen responded in all honesty, turning to walk away. Hector and Lars followed her outside the temple.

The tense atmosphere was deafening, and Hector grew annoyed within a few minutes.

"Ugh, I don't want to go back in the freezing cold," Hector complained, if only to break the silence.

"Quit whining," Lars replied, just as he'd wanted, "There will be many worse things to face then the cold, especially for you."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Halloween Hills," Lars said with a smirk, turning to him with a knowing gaze.

Hector froze, and it was definitely not from the cold. Rhen looked on curiously.

"… Why would we go in… there?" Hector asked carefully.

Lars shrugged before replying, "A sword could be there. Always a possibility."

Rhen could have sworn Hector's skin grew pale, and her eyes widened in realization.

"Is the big bad Hector afraid of ghosts?!" Rhen exclaimed in delighted disbelief. Hector stiffened considerably.

"What? Of course not!" Hector denied in a huff. Unfortunately, Lars's smirk gave it away.

"He's afraid of anything of the undead nature," Lars said, making Hector growl at him. Rhen would have been more amused if she hadn't noticed how Lars was still avoiding looking at her.

Ok, so she should have told him. Something like that was definitely a big deal. And guilt was definitely clinging to her veins. But she really wished he wouldn't act like this, even if it was selfish request. Lars was a stubborn man, there was no doubting that, and she knew he would remain this way for the entire journey if he wanted to.

That… little jerk!

Frustrated, Rhen decided she would ignore it. Though, she was pretty certain that was going to be an impossible task.

"I'll have to introduce you to Te'ijal, then," Rhen taunted as Hector looked confused, "She's a vampire."

"You traveled with a _vampire_?!" Hector screeched, his voice growing high. Rhen was once again left curious as to why Hector knew hardly anything about their journey to defeat Ahriman. Had Lars really not said anything?

"A woman with four husbands, a pirate running form the law, and a vampire?! What kind of heroic posse is that?!"

Rhen laughed out loud, having never thought of it that way. It was definitely a weird crew.

"We don't have much daylight left," Lars warned. Rhen looked up at the sky, confirming. The scattered clouds were hovering over the sun, making it even darker than it should be. And once they reached the other side of the cave, those clouds would be even denser due to the snowstorm.

"By the way," Hector started once they entered the blue-lit cave, "I'm _trustworthy_?"

Rhen remembered her words to the Oracle and blanched. She had really just said that to get the Oracle off his case, and she had expected Hector to mention it.

"Don't inflate your ego. You're still annoying as hell. What I meant, was that I doubt you would suddenly betray us or something," Rhen replied.

"Mm, I don't know. What if I was offered the deal of a lifetime…?"

"Don't _even_ joke," Rhen cut him off gravely, but then abruptly stopped walking.

What if that had happened with Dameon…?

She felt sick.

No, what was she thinking? Dameon would never betray her like that. The druids were being controlled… against their will. It wasn't their fault… wasn't his fault.

The ground vibrated harshly, and they steeled themselves to stay upright. A crack quickly ran up the ice-covered wall and up to the ceiling, rushing across some icicles.

Rhen was too wrapped up in her thoughts to notice, but Hector definitely had.

"Stupid!" Hector yelled, darting forward and grabbing Rhen's arm. With a jerk, he forced her body to fall back in his arms. Startled out of her thoughts, Rhen opened her mouth to yell at him, when the icicles above them gave out and came crashing down in front of her. Most shattered, but a few of the larger ones simply fell over and rolled with a clink.

Rhen blinked in a stupor.

"You id-"

"You _idiot_!" Lars exclaimed with more venom, marching over to her as Hector stood her up straight, "What the heck was that about? You can't be drifting off into la-la land if you really want to save your people! Do you have a death wish?!"

Rhen almost backed up from the intensity of his stare.

"That wouldn't have killed me…" Rhen answered weakly.

"And if you would have been seriously hurt? We would have had to take shelter until you healed, which would take even longer to get started! Half-assing something like this won-"

The smack echoed through the cave. Hector's eyes widened, taking in the way Lars's head was turned to the side and Rhen was glaring at him through moistened eyes. He just barely registered the sound of smashing icicles behind them, obviously shaken off from the vibrations of their loud voices.

"I'm _so_ freaking sorry I didn't notice they were about to fall," Rhen spoke, dangerously calm as she brought her hand back to her side, "But you have _no_ right to tell me I'm half-assing anything! My best friend could be _dead_ right now, and my husband has turned against me! Do you really think I'm not putting all I have into this?!"

Rhen spun on her heel and stalked toward the lighting at the end of the cave. Hector cautiously turned to Lars.

A sigh came from Lars's lips, and he brought his hand up to tentatively touch his throbbing cheek. A taunting remark like, "You're going to let a former slave get away with that?!" was right on the tip of Hector's tongue, but he was afraid he would get decked if he dared say anything close to that.

Instead, he vied for a, "That was a stupid move."

"… Maybe it's better this way," Lars muttered, staring after her. Hector frowned.

"Listen, I don't care what your feelings are on this and that, but her hating you isn't good either way. For either of you," Hector advised, walking.

"When the hell did you become the voice of reason?" Lars asked, following close behind. Hector smirked.

"When you became a bigger asshole than me," Hector replied.

"… I was just frustrated that she didn't mention Ahriman. And then she nearly got herself hurt because she was being careless and-"

"You need to tell her this, not me," Hector butted in. He scowled when the cave's shelter disappeared and the snow slammed into his face, "Hey Rhen! Wait up!"

Rhen stopped as she was told, but didn't turn around.

After a rather tense walk and two 'earthquakes,' the Snow Queen's palace was visible. The iced pillars still stood tall, sparkling, and beautiful. Rhen imagined the sun's rays reflecting off the ice would make an even more spectacular sight… if the sun wouldn't melt the entire castle, that is.

"I guess it's pretty neat," Hector commented when they reached the front doors. Rhen offered him a small smile before opening the door.

They were immediately welcomed by shouting. Rhen sighed.

"I don't think now is a good time to see the Snow Queen," Rhen remarked, though she kept walking forward. They reached the throne room, not so surprised to see the Mountain King and Snow Queen facing off, yelling at each other.

"There should be fairies living up here! They wouldn't cause any trouble!" Was the Mountain King's argument.

"Taking them away from their natural habitat… you're being selfish! And it's much too cold up here!" The Snow Queen rebutted.

"But your Majesty!" A fairy flew between them, one that Rhen and Lars immediately recognized as the one they had brought back to the Mountain King when he hadn't believed in such things, "I love it here! I'm sure some of the other fairies would too, if I could convince them to come!"

"_You_ stay out of it!" The Snow Queen yelled, seething. The poor fairy squeaked, frightened by the look on the queen's face. In a split second, the fairy had disappeared to hide behind the throne.

"Don't frighten Swilly!" The Mountain King exclaimed in the fairy's defense.

"Don't take that little thing's side! You've been putting off your duties just to spend time with her!"

"… She is so jealous," Hector commented in a whisper. Lars raised an eyebrow.

"Over a _fairy_?" Lars asked unbelievingly. The talking caught the Mountain King's attention.

"Rhen, Lars!" The Mountain King greeted in surprise, and then his eyes lit up, "Wonderful! Could you guys take Swilly to try and convince some more fairies to come live up north?!"

"Before he even knows why we're here," Hector mumbled to himself, frowning.

"Um… I'm sorry to say we're kind of in a hurry," Rhen turned down carefully, "And we've just come from Aveyond, so we don't have time to go back."

"Actually, there are fairies in Ylisfar. We'll probably be down that way," Lars mentioned, ignoring the 'What the hell are you doing?!' looks from Rhen and Hector. The Snow Queen also gave him a similar look, sighing in frustration and stomping her foot down before exiting the throne room in a rush.

"… Is this really ok…?" Rhen asked, helplessly staring after the furious Queen. The Mountain King waved his hand in the air.

"It'll be fine. I'll settle things with her, don't worry."

"One condition, though," Lars said, watching Swilly come out from her hiding place now that the Queen had made an exit, "If you know anything about where the legendary swords are hidden, we'd like to know."

"Well, I don't know much. There is one in the Ice Caverns beneath this castle, but I have no idea about the others. Why are you searching for them?" The Mountain King asked, tilting his head in confusion. Many eyes widened.

"You weren't informed…?" Hector inquired.

Rhen was confused herself. How had word gotten to somewhere like Teacup Town and not to the Snow Queen's palace?

Interference?

Rhen sure hoped not.

"Wait!" Swilly exclaimed, zipping back behind the throne, "Come see!"

They curiously approached. Swilly had sat down next to a… frozen bird?!

"That wife of mine," the Mountain King berated, "When she's angry, she acts without thinking."

Lars created a small ball of fire in his palm, positioning it underneath the bird. The ice melted away, leaving a very irritated bird to flap its wings and deposit the piece of rolled up paper it was carrying into the Mountain King's hand.

After a moment's reading, the Mountain King's eyes widened in alarm.

"Thais is…"

Rhen sullenly nodded, avoiding his gaze.

"We'd appreciate it if you could transport us to Thornkeep so we can rest for the night," Lars said.

"Of course," the Mountain King agreed, reaching into the pockets of his robe, "Take this. It's the key to the caverns below the palace. You're welcome to come back and get the sword at any time."

Rhen took the key from him with a polite, "Thank you."

"Be good, Swilly," the Mountain King said with a smile. Swilly smiled back and nodded enthusiastically.

"I hope you can get her to understand," Swilly replied, referring to the Snow Queen.

"Don't worry about her. And I thank all of you once again for taking her. The best of luck," the Mountain King said, raising his hand. There was a flash of colorful light, and the three found themselves back in the snow, standing by a well. Hector took a moment to observe his new surroundings, what he figured to be Thornkeep.

"The Inn is this way," Rhen informed, pointing in said direction as she began to walk, "But I wonder if we should really stay in one place for a whole night. We could get a lot of traveling done…"

"We have to get some sleep," Hector argued.

"Exactly. We won't be able to get anything done if we're tired all the time," Lars agreed. Rhen gave him a short look before looking away.

"Not like I'm going to be able to get much rest anyway," Rhen muttered unhappily.

"We'll make sure to leave early in the morning," Lars tried to amend unsuccessfully. He heaved a long sigh, wrapping a hand around the back of his neck. She wouldn't just start talking to him like normal… not after he'd made her resort to slapping him, for Christ's sakes.

But damn, he hated apologizing!

The Inn was exceptionally warm with a large fire blazing on the far wall. Hector sighed happily, swearing he was in heaven as he sunk down into the smooth sheets of his bed.

"Hey Swilly," Lars whispered, taking a seat on his own bed. The fairy perked, flying over.

"Yes?"

"What abilities do you have? I guess what I want to ask is, can you put someone to sleep?"

"Mhm, I can make sleeping powder; most fairies can."

"That's what I thought. Sprinkle some on Rhen tonight. I'm sure she wasn't lying when she said she wouldn't be able to sleep."

Swilly nodded with a smile.

"Aw, how sweet," Hector said suddenly, overhearing since he was in the next bed over.

"Quit being a jackass," Lars responded, a little embarrassed at being heard. He thought Hector would be out as soon as his body hit the mattress.

"Nah," Hector replied easily, waving a hand in the air, "Where's the fun in that?"

Lars rolled his eyes before turning his gaze to the purple-haired girl on the other side of the room.

"… I'll wake up early tomorrow; feed Solaris and get the sword. That way we'll be able to get going right after you wake up," Lars explained.

"We're not the only ones who need rest," Hector pointed out.

"I'll be fine."

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Rhen asked, reaching behind her back to undo her braided hair.

"Mind your own business," Hector snapped, and quickly ducked when a pillow came flying at his head, "HA! You have still yet to actually hit me with anything!"

"Is that a challenge?" Rhen asked with a creepy smile, unaware of Swilly, flying up behind her. The sparkling sleeping dust fell on the irritated girl, and her eyes drooped almost immediately, "Ugh. I'm too tired to… deal with you…"

With a large yawn, Rhen sank into the soft covers of her bed, out like a light.

"Thanks, Swilly," Lars said, pulling the covers over himself.

"No problem!" Swilly replied happily.

Hector turned to Lars, watching as he shifted in bed, back now facing him.

"Hey Lars… you're going to end up apologizing to her tomorrow, right?"

Lars stiffened in annoyance.

"What's it to you?" Lars inquired.

"It's just… she clearly needs a good friend to rely on right now. Since she left that Talia chick behind and Dameon-"

"Shut up already," Lars growled. Hector's eyes widened when his little experiment actually worked.

So he was right! Whenever Dameon's name came up, Lars would get irritated!

Interesting, indeed.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to get anything else out of Lars tonight, he leaned over and turned off the light.

---

**Review, pretty please! X3 This was a long chapter! I'm proud of myself! XD**


	4. Chapter 4

**uniFsky: Wow, thanks so much for the long review! I'm glad you're enjoying it ^_^ I actually get most of my reviewers for this story from another website, so it's all good ~.^ And yes, LarsxRhen IS the main pairing in this fic! I love them to death and wouldn't dare think of putting them with other people XD**

---

Rush 

**KikoAyumi**

**Pairing: **LarsxRhen DameonxRhen (We get it already. I put it.)

**Rating:** T

**Warnings: **Offensive language, angst, and some mature situations. I will definitely warn beforehand.

**Planned Length: **Long. I'm going for a novel with this one.

**Updates: **Absolutely random. I don't have much time to sit and write any longer, so I can't promise anything.

**NOTES: **This takes place nearly two years after the end of Aveyond, when Rhen decided to become Queen and wed Dameon.

**Chapter 4**

---

The party was in full swing.

Womens' gowns flowed above the alabaster floor, creating a rainbow of swirling colors as their partners guided them across the ballroom. The lights were bright, the music, though a pleasant tune, was loud, and as Dameon gave her one last turn to end the dance, Rhen sighed in relief.

Another song started almost immediately afterward, causing the young woman's lips to thin.

"I'm done for now," Rhen spoke, pulling her hand out of reach just as Dameon went to grasp it.

"This is only your third dance," Dameon spoke, disappointed. He stretched to reach her hand, bringing her fingertips to his lips, "When will you learn to enjoy this?"

With newfound guilt rushing through her veins, Rhen tore her gaze away from him, plastering a smile on her face. She grasped his hand, turning halfway toward the refreshments table.

"I'll make it up to you later. I promise," Rhen amended, leading Dameon off the dance floor. Her promise set like a stone in her stomach. Who knew what she had just promised to do? It was clear to her that Dameon's question was not merely about dancing. It was much deeper than that… about her life as Queen of Thais as a whole.

She wished she knew the answer herself.

Her thoughts were disrupted by a sudden quietness. The music…?

A sheet of blackness fell over her eyes, and screams sounded from the startled guests around her.

"Is it a power outage?" Dameon asked curiously. Rhen could only faintly see his outline from where he stood beside her.

A shiver crawled up her spine.

Something didn't feel right. Could it really be something as simple as a power outage?

Apologies from people bumping into one another bombarded her ears, confusing her.

"Just open the front doors! That'll let some light in!" Rhen suggested. The apologies didn't stop; the room remained black. With the hair on the back of her neck standing up, she decided to follow her own advice, slowly advancing through the darkness.

She surprisingly didn't bump into anything along her journey, and only faintly comprehended the apologies turning into mere murmurs with every step she took. The brass handle was ice cold beneath her fingertips, chilling her as she pulled the door open.

It was still dark. Still pitch black and yet… she could see.

She didn't want to see.

A scream was thickly swallowed, creating a lump in her throat that made it hard to breathe.

Those charred bodies… those disfigured faces frozen in terror… those dull, lifeless eyes…

'Not again!' Rhen thought desperately, blindly stepping backwards… anything to get away from the harsh reality in front of her.

She gasped, opening her misty eyes wide when she backed into something solid. Arms wrapped around her from behind, pinning her own arms to her sides. She was momentarily startled by the sudden contact, but her heart rate slowed down considerably at the warmth radiating from the embrace.

'Dameon…' Rhen thought, respite, grasping her hands around his arms and leaning back into the hold, seeking comfort. Her eyes slid tightly shut, mind trying to will away her surroundings.

Even through her closed eyelids, the sudden glow was bright. Hopeful, desperate, Rhen reopened her eyelids, expecting to be back amongst the laughter and, yes, even the dancing, of the brightly lit ballroom.

Her heart plummeted, however, when her eyes fell on Dameon. He was floating in the air some thirty feet away, a bright ball of energy swirling over his outstretched hand, his eyes staring her down.

Eyes as dull and lifeless as the scattered bodies below.

But then who…?!

Rhen whipped her head around so fast, a piece of hair stung her eye. She winced before focusing.

"Lars…?" Rhen whispered.

Said man's auburn eyes didn't turn to her, however, but stared ahead, somehow darkened within the bright light.

"Lars, what's going on?!" Rhen cried desperately, nearly digging her nails into his skin.

He stayed still, a deep frown etched on his face.

"Lars!" Rhen shouted again, trying to reach up, trying to make him look at her, but his tight hold remained effectively trapping her arms.

The light…!

She caught movement from the corner of her eye, and turned to see the blinding light engulf her.

And then all was black.

Rhen gasped for air. She was no longer in an embrace; her arms moved freely underneath the cool sheets of the bed she was lying on.

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness as she breathed in shakily, tracing the patterns of the Inn's ceiling.

Things grew blurry.

'Wha… what was that… why…'

Thunk. Thunk.

Rhen went rigid upon the sound of footsteps. She blinked wildly, ridding the tears from her eyes without any further movements.

A shadow moved slowly through the dark, trying to be quiet, but the sound of its boots hitting the wooden floor was inevitable. It made its way toward the front door, managing to open it without a creak.

Though the sun had not yet risen, the new light was vivid enough to make Rhen wince. The dim light was enough to illuminate the shadow, identifying the suspect by revealing a head of unruly, green locks.

Where was Lars going so early…?

The door shut, leaving her alone with her thoughts once more.

She quickly concluded she'd had more than enough sleep, throwing the covers to the side and placing her feet on the floor, reaching to grab her coat she hung next to the bed. She had barely brushed the thick cloth when a horrifying gurgle echoed throughout the room, startling her enough to drop the coat on the floor.

Rhen blinked, looking over in the direction she was sure Hector was sleeping. Sure enough, another loud snore sounded soon after.

'… Ugh!' Rhen grumbled, standing up and bending down to snag her coat from the floor, 'It was a dream! Stop being so freaking jumpy!'

She inwardly berated herself as she walked toward the front door, slipping on her coat. The urge to mess with Hector while he was none-the-wiser came about, but it was a mere fleeting thought when she reached the door. If she messed with Hector now, she would undoubtedly lose sight of Lars if he had gone anywhere.

'You got lucky,' Rhen thought, glancing in Hector's direction once more before opening the door and stepping outside. The winter air was bitter and unwelcoming. Rhen wrapped the coat tighter around her body, eyes searching for their target.

Lars wasn't hard to spot amongst the white landscape, walking a good forty feet ahead. Rhen could now see the two silver buckets he held in both hands.

'He must be going to feed Solaris,' Rhen concluded, her feet crunching the snow with every step. Well, now that she knew what he was up to, it was hardly any fun to secretly follow.

"Lars!"

He whipped around in surprise. Rhen couldn't quite see his face clearly from where she stood, so she quickly took advantage of his stillness, quickening her pace.

Lars didn't begin walking again until she was beside him.

"… You should be sleeping," Lars spoke, glancing down at her with mild curiosity.

"Nightmare," Rhen spoke curtly, cupping her hands and breathing into them.

"…" Lars was at a loss for words. He was interested in the nightmare, but thought against asking about it. He couldn't afford giving her something else to be upset with him about.

Heck, why was she even here? He thought, for sure, he'd have to be the one who approached her to apologize… though his pride was happy that would no longer be the case.

"… The earthquakes have stopped. The snow, too," Lars observed, breaking the silence. Rhen looked around with raised eyebrows.

"You're right. With Swilly gone now… maybe it was jealousy after all," Rhen answered.

"… She's a _fairy_," Lars reiterated disbelievingly. Rhen grinned, shrugging.

"Love is love."

Lars frowned, turning away.

Was it really…?

Solaris greeted them with a chipper roar the moment they were in sight.

"Morning," Lars said, setting the buckets down. Solaris's nozzle was buried with seconds.

"… It just happened so fast," Rhen spoke softly, grabbing Lars's attention, "I pleaded with Talia to go with me on a horseback ride before my birthday party started, so I left the castle, and when I came ba-"

"Don't."

Rhen blinked, confused by the interruption. Lars seemed agitated, running his hand through his hair.

"You don't need to tell me. I know I've been pressuring you to, and I'm… well, you know…"

"Sorry?" Rhen asked, cracking a smile as Lars glared.

"The point is, do whatever you want. If you don't want me knowing, fine."

"I was just _trying_ to tell you," Rhen grinned.

"But-"

"I want to tell you. Now shut up."

Lars snapped his mouth shut obligingly.

Rhen took a deep breath before continuing, "When I came back… I didn't think much of it, but I knew something was off. There were no guards anywhere… we noticed the Druids had already arrived, so Talia told me to pen up the horses while she fetched a bath for me. I… wasn't inside the castle long before Talia came running to me, shouting nonsense and dragging me through the castle, screaming that I had to get away. But when we got to the ballroom…"

Rhen took a moment to breathe again, collecting herself, least she start crying.

"There were bodies everywhere. They were… they were all… twisted and burnt-looking and… dead! My people! While I was out on a freaking joyride, they were…!"

"Rhen," Lars interrupted, reaching up to wipe the stray tears rolling down her cheeks before cradling her face within his hands, forcing her to look up at him, "Don't start blaming yourself. Focus. Tell me the rest."

Rhen's lower lip quivered before she bit down on it.

"… The doors. They were all blocked… Talia said she would teleport us. But before she could, she was hit. Dameon," Rhen faltered on his name, "…wasn't himself. His eyes… he wasn't there! And he was attacking us! Talia was so weak by the attack… she said she only had enough power to se- send me. Before she did, she mentioned Ahriman's power, and how the Druids must be controlled. And then… I ended up on the Eastern Isle."

Though she definitely thought of it, Rhen failed to mention the attack that was barreling toward Talia the moment she was teleported. She was certain she couldn't put it in words without breaking down.

"… Wow."

Rhen blinked through her misty eyes, staring up at Lars in disbelief.

"… Wow. … You jerk, what the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

Lars chuckled, giving her wet cheek one last swipe before retreating his hands back to his sides.

"Sorry. It's just… I wanted to know, and now I don't know what to say. An 'I'm sorry' would be pretty pitiful," Lars responded. A small smile crawled up her lips as she wiped at her eyes.

Her body felt much lighter. Maybe it was because she finally got it all off her chest, and maybe a little bit of it was the way Lars handled it. Even through the worst, he was able to bring a smile to her face. Though it didn't erase her problems, it most definitely made them easier to deal with.

"I'm sorry I slapped you earlier. It looked like it stung," Rhen said guiltily. Lars frowned, rubbing his abused cheek.

"Hell yeah it did!" Lars exclaimed, looking mad for a mere moment before his expression turned somber, "About the half-assing comment… I didn't mean that. I was just… you have to be more careful, alright?"

"You were worried. I know," Rhen responded with a smile. A faint pink hue crossed over Lars's nose and cheeks before he hastily looked away.

"Yeah, whatever. You _have_ to worry over a clumsy girl like you," Lars commented. Rhen simply rolled her eyes.

"I was planning on getting the sword after this," Lars said, walking over to pick up the empty buckets.

"I don't want you doing all this stuff on your own, you know. I'm perfectly capable!"

"Hn. Doubt that."

He received a glare in reply.

A yawn soon followed the glare, and Hector's obnoxious snoring popped into Rhen's mind.

"I wonder if Hector will wake up wondering where we are," Rhen commented.

"That guy sleeps like a log. He probably won't be up."

"He snores sound like a dying cow."

Lars laughed out loud.

---

Surrounded by the gray sky, the palace was completely silent amongst the still wind, yet still majestically beautiful.

Lars and Rhen approached the front doors, Rhen frowning as she looked around.

"No guards," Rhen pointed out, irked.

"There were never any guards here, though, as weird as that is," Lars replied. Rhen blinked, discovering with a weird fascination that he was absolutely correct.

They entered the palace without any further delay, walking through the long hallways of ivory. Rhen absentmindedly ran her fingers along the wall as she passed, eyes wide as she took in the many patterns and sculptures.

Lars watched with interest.

"You really love this place, don't you?" Lars asked. Rhen turned to him with an abashed smile.

"I do. It just… fits her so well."

"Fits her?"

"Mhm. Everything about this place… the colors, the elegance… it screams 'Snow Queen', don't you think?"

"I do. But everyone's home is like that, isn't it? I mean, they're the ones who get the decorate it to match their personality. Wasn't the palace in Thais the same for you?"

Rhen's walk slowed, her eyes staying glued to the smooth wall.

"… I guess so."

Lars frowned at the absentminded tone, but concluded the girl had been through enough confessions for the day, and let it drop.

The door to the ice chambers looked the same as it did two years ago, and Rhen ran up to it in excitement. She knocked on the door for the heck of it, grinning.

"No Indra behind here this time!" Rhen exclaimed. Lars shook his head at her antics, pulling the key from his pocket and unlocking the door.

To their surprise, a force field of what looked to be blue string surrounded the Sword of Dreams, sitting on a frozen pedestal.

"Uh… wanna try touching it?" Rhen asked, laughing at the look she received, "I'm just kidding!"

"Look there," Lars said, pointing to a piece of paper nailed to the wall. Rhen swaggered over, ripping the note from its place.

"It's from the King," Rhen said before reading off the paper, "Every sword is guarded by this special force field for protection. Only those of Pendragon blood can get through the barrier. Good luck on your journeys."

"Only a Pendragon, huh?" Lars mumbled, watching Rhen step through the force field without any hindrance, "That means you _have_ to be the one to grab the sword. What a stupid thing!"

"I've told you before, I'm capable of doing these things! Don't go hogging all the glory for yourself! I'm happy with this 'stupid thing'."

"You would be," Lars muttered, turning on his heel and heading out the way they'd come. Rhen hugged the sword to her front as she followed him out.

"So where will we be heading next? We weren't given any leads," Lars inquired.

"Mm… Sedona. That's the closest place to here, and it's a powerful nation. Surely someone will know the whereabouts of at least one other sword," Rhen answered, her face suddenly lighting up, "Wow, I haven't been to Sedona in a long time! I wonder how that mansion is holding up?!"

"You haven't been there? It's probably infested with spider webs and dust!"

"I have people take care of it for me! I just… don't have much time on my hands anymore, so I don't get to travel a lot."

"Hmph. Sounds like a prison."

"It is not!" Rhen exclaimed, upset by the analogy, "The palace is a truly wonderful place. The beds are fluffy; the food is excellent… it can't be helped! I am Queen, you know. It brings on a lot of… responsibilities! You have a duty to Shadwood in the same way!"

"I can leave and take vacations and even travel around the world. It's not the same."

"I can _leave_," Rhen huffed, situating the sword more comfortably in her hold, "There just… has to be guards following me."

"I would think that'd annoy you."

"… It does. A little. But I'll get used to it!"

'Idiot. You've been 'getting used to it' for two years,' Lars thought, once again deciding against voicing it.

But how long would he be able to keep those comments to himself?

---

"Where the hell have you two been?!"

Hector was sitting on his bed, fully dressed, scowling. Rhen silently cursed herself for missing the chance to mess with him in his sleep.

"Surprises never cease; you're actually up," Lars drawled, ignoring his question. Swilly giggled, flying over to land on Hector's head.

"That's 'cause I got him up!" Swilly exclaimed, zipping off his head when Hector swiped at her.

"So where were you? You better not be leaving me out of the loop or anything! Jeez, I looked all around here!"

"Aw, were you worried about me, Hector?!" Rhen asked in a sugary sweet tone.

"Like hell!"

"We went to get the sword," Lars finally admitted. Hector's eyebrows shot up, and he noticed the sword Rhen was carrying for the first time, "We'll be heading to Sedona next. It's a large city in the Northern part of the Western Isle."

"Whatever. As long as we're getting out of this vile snow," Hector replied, unconsciously leaning forward as he studied the sword, "… It's pink. What kind of a sword is pink?!"

Lars snickered at the comment, while Rhen puffed her cheeks.

"And what's wrong with a pink sword?" Rhen challenged.

"It's girly. It doesn't fit you," Lars commented.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Hector observed the bickering pair in relief. Wherever they had disappeared to this morning, it looked like things were back to normal between the two of them.

"I'm hungry," Swilly suddenly noted, punctuated by the low growling of her stomach.

"I am too. Let's all pack up here and eat before we take off," Rhen offered, sheathing the Sword of Dreams.

---

They all enjoyed a plate of hot eggs and fresh biscuits in quiet. Only the Inn's owner joined them, busily writing at the front of the room.

"Can't believe they don't have jam," Hector grumbled, getting elbowed in the side.

"Not many fruits can be grown in this kind of climate," Lars explained.

"I say all these people are nuts. How can you live in this weather?!" Hector asked loudly. Rhen groaned when the owner looked up from his paper.

"You're so rude," Rhen spoke, chastising. To her relief, however, the owner chuckled, setting his pen down.

"Some enjoy the cold, lad. Where are you all from?"

Hector sneered at being called a 'lad,' but took a large bite out of his loaf of bread instead of starting a quarrel.

"Veldarah," Lars answered immediately, throwing a look Rhen's way. If she wasn't recognized, all the better. Plus, Lars was unsure how certain people would react upon hearing Thais's name after the warnings were sent.

Rhen got the hint, and nodded in agreement.

"Veldarah? Well that's not too far from here. By how irked he seemed to be, I thought you'd be from the Southern Isle or something."

"No, he's just a big baby," Rhen said sweetly, hammering a hand on said baby's back. Hector's eyes widened at the surprise attack, swallowing on instinct. The un-chewed chunk of bread gripped his throat, sending him into a coughing fit.

Panicked, Rhen began hitting his back.

With a thick swallow and a deep, relieved breath, Hector brought a hand up to his neck.

"You can quit hitting me already, woman!" Hector yelled.

Rhen guiltily rest her hands on her lap, looking to be at a loss for words. She hadn't meant to choke the guy.

To her right, Lars began to laugh.

"Oh, right, your best friend nearly dies and you're laughing," Hector spoke sourly.

"You're alright now, aren't you? … That would have been a pretty pathetic way to go, though. Ha, your face…!" Lars replied in mirth.

Hector grabbed the half of a load left on Rhen's plate, ignoring her appalled, "Hey!" before standing up.

"Do anything and I'll zap you," Lars said, holding his hand out in warning.

"Don't! You may destroy something in here!" Swilly cautioned.

Lars incredulously snorted, glaring at the pink-haired fairy.

"Do you think I can't control my ma- fifgurah?!"

Hector had taken the distraction to his advantage, shoving the loaf into Lars's mouth. Rhen exploded with laughter upon seeing Lars's shocked, stuffed face.

With a heave, the loaf was blown to the ground.

"You…!" Lars gritted, sparks flying from his outstretched hand. Hector chuckled before making a dash for the door, "Get back here!"

"Everyone will probably wake up thinking the town's being attacked," Rhen giggled.

"That wouldn't be a good thing right now," the Innkeeper spoke, not amused. The smile quickly fell from Rhen's face.

"… I'll make sure they don't make trouble," Rhen promised apologetically, slipping out of her chair.

'Ugh. I'm an idiot. Of course that wouldn't be good!'

Guilt settled on her shoulders. She hadn't been thinking about the people at all. Of course they'd be scared to death of an attack right now!

She hoped the two idiots would realize that before they woke everyone up.

She found them, thankfully, with no surrounding destruction or commotion. What she did find, however, greatly confused her.

Hector was angry; that was a given. His face was flushed, eyebrows creased, arms flailing about, mouth opening and closing wildly, but yet… no sound came from his lips…?

Lars had a hand over his mouth, muffling his laughter.

"What happened..?" Rhen asked, the corners of her lips twitching upwards. Hector's cheeks turned a brighter red when he noticed her, and he quickly turned away.

"He was screaming profanities after I zapped him; had to shut him up somehow," Lars replied, and continued when he still detected confusion on her face, "Ah, I didn't have this ability back then, did I? It's called Silence."

Well, at least one idiot knew to stay quiet.

Hector glared daggers into Lars's face.

"I like this quietness! Maybe you should keep him on silent for the rest of the journey!" Rhen joked, only fleetingly not joking at all.

Hector looked quite panicked.

"No more dying cows, right?" Lars said, eyes dancing with mirth as Rhen recognized the reference.

Rhen burst out in laughter while Hector stood there, silent and confused.

---

"I'm happy you got along with the King so well," Rhen spoke, head turned slightly to be able tot see the fairy on her shoulder, "I would have felt bad for taking you from the Memory Caverns otherwise."

After the bread mishap, they had paid for their breakfast, packed up, and headed out. Hector trailed a few feet behind, moping, and still unable to speak.

Solaris was now visible, waiting by the edge of the chilled water.

"The King is a wonderful guy," Swilly praised with a smile.

"The Snow Queen looked like she gave you hell, though," Lars said.

"Don't think badly of her. She's a good person too, just… quick to get angry."

Hector mouthed something that looked suspiciously like 'jealousy.'

"… Hey!" Rhen suddenly voiced, gliding her hand over the scales of Solaris's nozzle, "Wait. Lars, you said there were fairies in Ylisfar?"

She couldn't believe she hadn't given it a second thought until now.

"Yeah. The fairies have created small societies in a lot of places to expand their territories," Lars explained.

"…ry informed," Hector nearly jumped when his voice came out, "You aren't very informed!"

"Damn," Lars spoke with a smirk.

"You, shut it, now," Hector threatened, before turning to Swilly, "And you! The Queen is obviously jealous of you. How would you feel if the guy you loved was always with another woman?!"

"… she's fairy, for Christ's sakes! That's not physically possible!" Lars argued.

"The King is more of a father-figure to me, anyway!" Swilly exclaimed.

"Oh, don't bother arguing with him. He's just stuck on the whole jealousy thing because of Ylitta," Rhen jibbed.

Hector sputtered, before making himself busy with Solaris's reigns, "So, tell me what Sedona is like."

Rhen snorted at the abrupt change of subject, but decided to play along anyway, "Looks like you're the one who is ill-informed."

"Sedona is one of the more wealthy cities on the Eastern Isle; a really busy place. But hey, we won't have to pay for lodging. Unless you sold the house…?" Lars asked.

"I would never sell that! I was really proud of buying that house!" Rhen exclaimed.

"How long will it take to get there?" Hector inquired, hefting himself up on the dragon's back.

"Not too long. We'll surely be there by lunch time," Lars replied, tying their supply bags tightly, "We'll have to speak with the King when we get there."

"I wonder if Galahad misses Sedona," Rhen pondered.

"Of course he does," Lars drawled as if the question needn't be asked.

"Another name to add to the list. I'm a little scared of asking," Hector responded, thinking of the possibilities in his head. Rhen looked surprised, turning to Lars instead of answering Hector's inquiry.

"Have you not told him anything?" Rhen asked. Lars waved a hand in the air dismissively.

"He doesn't need to know my life story. Plus, I was busy when I got back to Veldarah."

"He told be the basics, I guess. Mainly talked about you and Ahriman," Hector said.

"Hm. Well, Galahad is a knight from Sedona who was turned into a vampire by Te'ijal," Rhen explained, watching Hector go white.

"I knew I shouldn't have asked," Hector grumbled.

"If there is one vampire you don't have to be afraid of, it's Galahad," Lars ribbed, making Rhen giggle.

"Aw, don't put the guy down like that!"

"_Magic doesn't exist_!" Lars exclaimed dramatically, changing his accent to resemble Galahad. Rhen laughed while Hector smirked in amusement, "Anyway, Swilly, you won't be able to keep up with a flying dragon. I suggest you ride in a pocket."

Swilly gave a sloppy salute before settling in the cloth of Rhen's outfit. Lars helped Rhen on the dragon, despite her protests, before sitting behind her.

"Ugh, I have to hold onto him again, don't I?" Rhen asked over her shoulder with a pout.

"Are you going to complain about this every time we ride?" Hector asked, turning away and muttering, "Am I really that repulsive or something?"

Rhen, hearing the remark, was surprised that he seemed genuinely irritated.

"Aw, I'm sorry. I promise not to poison your food anytime soon," Rhen tried to amend with a smirk, placing her arms around his waist.

"You care so much," Hector replied dully, but the corners of his lips were turned upward.

Hector gripped the reigns. This takeoff, unlike the last one, was smooth.


	5. Chapter 5

**Rush **

KikoAyumi

**Pairing: **LarsxRhen DameonxRhen (We get it already. I put it.)

**Rating:** T

**Warnings: **Offensive language, angst, and some mature situations. I will definitely warn beforehand.

**Planned Length: **Long. I'm going for a novel with this one.

**Updates: **Absolutely random. I don't have much time to sit and write any longer, so I can't promise anything.

**NOTES: **This takes place nearly two years after the end of Aveyond, when Rhen decided to become Queen and wed Dameon.

**Chapter 5**

---

The air around them was still cool; though not near as bitter as it had been over the icy banks of the Northern Isle.

Rhen's vision cleared as they flew out of a cluster of fluffy white clouds. Riding a dragon felt like floating on air; peaceful. She was very near falling asleep, but concluded that would be dangerous. And to ask Lars to hold her would be all-around embarrassing!

She turned her head; not enough to see Lars, but she would be heard better at the angle.

"Hey Lars?" Rhen tossed over her shoulder. Talking would keep her from focusing on sleep.

"Yeah?" She heard him answer. She felt him shift, no doubt leaning closer to be heard over the rushing wind.

"Tell me about the Academy. You know, when you returned."

"… Where did this come from all of a sudden?"

"Am I not allowed to ask a question?"

"Without a motive? I'm not sure," Lars responded, contemplating, and Rhen rolled her eyes, practically seeing his smirk in her mind, "Nothing interesting."

Rhen inwardly sighed in frustration. He built up the teasing for an extremely vague answer like that?!

"Seriously," Rhen prodded. Behind her, Lars raised an eyebrow. Her interest surprised him a little.

"I was automatically given a teaching position when I returned, along with a large banquet in my honor," Lars spoke, not seeing Rhen smile as she detected his 'I am SO good tone,' "They had me teaching lower level classes at first-"

"But before _all_ of that," Hector suddenly yelled, "He went back home to Ghalarah. You should have _seen_ his mother's face when he told her you were the Pendragon prophecy!"

Laughter bubbled from Rhen's mouth. Just the thought of Miss Tenobor at a loss for words was enough to make her day a little better.

… a lot better.

"Yep. And then this idiot decided to follow me to Shadwood," Lars replied. Hector huffed in response.

"But, isn't Shadwood reserved for magic wielders?" Rhen asked.

"Of course it is! I know how to use magic!" Hector proclaimed proudly. Rhen's eyes widened in surprise, a bit impressed, before she heard Lars's snort.

"Speaking of that; why the heck did you lie to Ylitta about your magic test?"

Rhen felt Hector stiffen under her arms and she leaned in, intrigued.

"And what lie was this?" Rhen asked in a singsong voice.

"None of your business!" Hector exclaimed, refusing to look back. The backs of his ears, however, betrayed him by turning a rosy red.

"If you remember, he told Ylitta he passed his magic test easily,"

"I've been great!" Hector beamed, throwing his hands behind his head, "Passed my magic compression test with flying colors, you know!"

"But that's the farthest thing from the truth. He _barely_ passed that thing. He was lucky the teacher liked him!"

Rhen smirked, holding in a laugh, "Aw, you were just trying to impress her, weren't you?! … Though, lying is not the best way to impress someone."

She almost thought Hector would stay in his stiff, flushed, silent state, and was surprised when he practically deflated.

"I have to say _something_ to get her attention, don't I?" Hector admitted, still refusing to look back, "She's too caught up on Lars to acknowledge anything else."

Rhen caught the bitter bite his tone held by the end as Lars sighed.

"She's only interested in my position at Shadwood," Lars argued exasperatedly. Rhen had a feeling they had discussed something like this before.

"If you really think that, you're an idiot. Ylitta has had her eyes on you since Rhen was a slave!"

Lars squirmed at that sentence, but Rhen was too busy inspecting Hector to give it a second thought.

"… You _really_ like her, don't you?" Rhen spoke wistfully.

Hector finally built up the courage to turn around.

"_How_ did we start talking about her anyway?!"

"Did she turn you down?" Rhen asked, not letting him end the conversation so easily.

"You actually think I've confessed!?"

"Well then confess, dimwit!"

"Dimwit?! What kind of insult is that?"

"Stop changing the subject!"

"Like it would matter anyway."

"I have to admit," Lars interrupted, "The girl has a one-track mind."

"So what? You have to try! At the very least, a woman should appreciate the feelings! Though I do _not_ understand your tastes at all…"

Hector glared.

"… I'm sure Ylitta's the same way."

Hector let out a frustrated scream before replying, "Stop! You giving me romantic advice is just plain creepy!"

Rhen rolled her eyes at the dramatics, but having said her piece, refrained from further argument. Her stomach rumbled, her hand subconsciously slipping over it.

"I'm kind of hungry."

"Pig," Hector insulted. Rhen ignored it, deciding to let it slide. She understood he was still a little jumpy about the previous conversation.

"Smoked salmon sounds good, hm?" Rhen asked conversationally, twisting her neck around to see Lars. She blinked when she noticed he hadn't even heard her, rusty brown eyes staring off into the clouds, a small frown tracing his lips. He looked… troubled, and Rhen found herself growing nervous.

"Lars…?"

As if a switch had been hit, his eyes came back to life, his head turning to her in question. Rhen raised an eyebrow.

"Smoked salmon. You up for that when we get to Sedona?"

"Whatever is good," Lars answered with a shrug, turning away again. Rhen was slightly offended by the sudden cold attitude, but merely turned back around. If something was bothering him, he would eventually tell her.

.. Right?

---

"We forgot about this huge forest."

Upon flying over the Western Isle, they found themselves with a problem. With such a populated city and dense forest, Solaris was having a hard time finding a safe place to land. Deciding on not taking the risk, the party landed in a vast field just south of the Highlands.

"Walking there will be fine, but won't we need a passport?" Lars inquired, watching Rhen's eyes widen in surprise.

"Passport?" Hector asked.

"There's a trade route that requires a card of verification somewhere up here. No matter, though. If we explain our situation, I'm sure the guard will let us pass," Lars assured, though inwardly cringing at his own words. He wasn't as sure as he led on, but the others needn't know that.

Rhen sighed, hoping that was the case.

"Looks like we'll be late for lunch after all," Rhen said with a small pout. She was thankful Hector hadn't come back with another 'pig' comment. At least she could assume that meant he had cooled off.

"Eep!" Swilly exclaimed, looking up to the skies with wide eyes. The others followed her gaze, seeing a Nemesis flying above, "You sure there isn't any other way?"

"They're just birds," Hector remarked, receiving a glare in return.

"Things like that _eat_ things like me!" Swilly exclaimed fretfully. Rhen smiled, cupping her hand around Swilly's head.

"Don't worry about that. Just stay in my pocket," Rhen guaranteed.

Increasingly thankful for the canopy, the now self-assured fairy snuggled deeper into the pocket; content.

Rhen's mind turned as they walked on, recalling memories that had been buried for quite some time. Looking toward the South, the image of a militant squirrel bombarded her mind, making her curious as to if they were still living in that cave built into the mountainside. If so, she hoped they had stayed out of trouble within the passed few years.

She smiled in spite of herself.

Yeah right.

Something suddenly fell from the tree they were walking under, successfully avoiding Rhen's head by a few inches.

'Oh my God, the militant squirrels have now learned telekinesis, were reading my thoughts, and are attacking!' Rhen's panicked mind concluded. Looking down, however, confirmed it was not a squirrel in combat, but rather a baby Nemesis, looking quite peeved at having fallen from its nest.

Rhen nearly hit herself for coming up with such an idiotic idea. Had those militant squirrel left that much of an impression?

The wonders of a panicked mind.

"The babies are leaving their nest," Lars noted, craning his neck to see another baby fly, quite crookedly, from the nest.

"This guy didn't do so great," Hector insulted, throwing a thumb at the ground. As if the baby could understand what they were saying, it chose the moment to puff its chest and irritably flutter its wings.

Rhen snickered, "Better watch it, Hector. This little guy'll rough you up."

Hector snorted.

"… I think we have a bigger problem," Lars stated. The moment Rhen, Hector, and Swilly turned to look at him, a horrid screech filled the air.

Above them, a large Nemesis circled, enraged red eyes targeting them.

"These must be her babies. We're too close-" Swilly began, cut off by a small squeak as the mother Nemesis dove through the air, heading straight for them at an astonishing speed.

Lars stepped forward, thrusting his staff in the air between him and the bird. The green orb began glowing; charging for attack.

Rhen's eyes widened in alarm.

"Don't!" She shouted, stepping forward to grasp his shoulder. Lars whipped his head around, confused eyes searching her own. Another screech made him quite aware of how close the Nemesis was, and without wasting another second, he grasped Rhen's upper arms.

Throwing his body against her, he managed to get them safely to the ground as the giant bird flew back to the skies.

Rhen groaned, having had the air knocked out of her chest when Lars landed on her. Sensing her discomfort, Lars quickly lifted his body from hers, a deep scowl decorating his lips.

"What the heck was that about?!" Lars yelled.

"These babies need their mother! You can't just kill her!" Rhen yelled back. She then noticed his scowl was not only from anger. He looked to be in pain.

Sure enough, a large gash covered his upper right arm, fresh crimson blood trickling down and staining his sleeve.

"Ah! Did she get you!?" Rhen exclaimed unnecessarily. The wound hadn't been there before; of course he was hit. Nevertheless, she found herself not wanting to believe it. It had been her fault…

"Her beak. It's just a scratch."

That was more than a scratch.

"She's coming back!" Hector warned, standing a few feet away under a large oak tree, warily looking up at the sky.

Rhen felt her upper arms being seized for the second time in the same minute.

"Lets go!" Lars commanded, pulling her to her feet, "Hector! That building; go for it!"

The trade route was within view. If they could only get there in time…

"It's locked!" Hector exclaimed after trying to open the door.

"What?!" Rhen demanded, watching hopelessly as Hector jiggled and pulled the handle uselessly. Panic overtook her when she saw Lars move his staff again, but she said nothing when his hand momentarily tightened on her shoulder in reassurance.

A large blue bubble formed around them, just as the Nemesis reached them. The giant bird flew into the shield, screeching in frenzy when it ran into the invisible wall.

"So what do we do now…?" Hector inquired, knowing the longer Lars held his shield up, the quicker he'll be drained, "Hey! You were hit!"

Hector noticed the blood on Lars's arm for the first time.

"You still haven't done anything? Heal yourself!" Rhen commanded, but Lars merely shook his head.

"Holding up this shield and healing at the same time isn't a good idea," Lars explained. Rhen didn't quite understand; sure, that would take more mana than usual, but it shouldn't be an impossible task.

Instead of questioning, however, she stepped closer to him, intent on making some sort of makeshift wrap for the wound.

Lars stepped back immediately, "Don't touch someone else's blood, idiot!"

"But…!"

She jumped when Nemesis slammed into the shield again, having paid no attention to the bird, and watched as Lars winced with the hit.

They couldn't just stay here forever…

"Clearwater," Lars spoke, making Rhen's head snap up, "It's the closet place that we can get to from here. They'll surely know why it's locked, and possibly a way to get to Sedona."

"That'll take us off course…" Rhen began, but her words became mere whispers. Really, what else _could_ they do?

… And…?

"Swilly?" Rhen asked, suddenly remembering the little fairy in her pocket. She reached in and brought Swilly into the sunlight. The poor thing's clothes were rumpled, her hair was a mess, and her eyes were huge swirls, "Lars… you landed on her!"

Lars blinked with wide eyes.

"Is… she ok?" He asked sheepishly.

Well, she was still breathing, so that was a good sign.

"Alright then, which way is this Clearwater place?" Hector asked as the Nemesis barged into the shield once again.

"It's up that way," Rhen offered, pointing toward the path guided by trees leading to the northeast.

Hector nodded, a determined glint flashing in his eyes.

"Alright. Lars, let your shield down… now!" Hector exclaimed. Lars looked confused, but did what he was told without question.

"What are you plan- gah!" Rhen shrieked when Hector grabbed her.

"In the bushes! Quick; while she's flying back up!" Hector instructed.

"_This_ is your brilliant plan?!" Rhen exclaimed, crouching down in the brush, "She's going to notice we're not here…!"

A faint orange glow surrounded Hector. After he muttered a few words too soft for Rhen to hear, the glow was gone.

"There," Hector whispered, slowly peeking out of their shelter.

Rhen and Lars followed his gaze curiously, and her jaw dropped instantly.

There standing in front of them was... well… _themselves_!

Replicas!

The clones' backs were turned, but the clothes and hair made it unmistakable.

"You made clones…!" Rhen whispered in awe. Beside her, Hector beamed in pride.

… then the clones turned around, and all of Rhen's admiration flew out the window.

Her clone's eyes were droopy and red, mouth pulled askew… she had _no nose_!?

"Is that what I look like?!" Rhen seethed. Lars grabbed her hands before they could wrap themselves around Hector's neck, while biting down on his lower lip to prevent laughter.

The Nemesis attacked again, hitting the faux shield.

"S… so what?!" Hector exclaimed, clearly embarrassed by his messy magic, "It's working, right?!"

"Ha… let's just go," Lars said, still chuckling.

With a watchful eye on the enraged mother, they managed to escape the scene through the trees.

"Your magic really _is_ horrible," Rhen remarked, still irked by the creation of her hideous 'clone.'

"Be grateful, you brat!" Hector replied. Lars still held a goofy grin as he finally began healing himself.

"Why are you still laughing? You looked like an ogre!" Rhen exclaimed.

This only made him laugh harder.

Rhen sighed, turning to Hector with a grin.

"Ok. Though it was absolutely pathetic, thanks for doing it."

"What kind of compliment is that?!" Hector shouted.

"The best one you're going to get."

Lars looked on in amusement, a yawn stretching his face.

They reached the cave route in no time. Rhen was growing more anxious with every step, and finally came to an abrupt halt on the foot of a small cliff, turning around to face her companions.

"This is where that stupid slave trader picked me up," Rhen informed.

"Didn't your mother teach you not to talk to strangers?" Hector asked with one eyebrow raised. Rhen looked sheepish.

"I was supposed to meet up with my friend Peter and the man was blocking my way! It wasn't as if I could just ignore him. Maybe I shouldn't have shown him my ring so willingly, though," Rhen pondered.

"If nothing else, you were setting yourself up for a robbery," Lars drawled. Rhen's cheeks puffed, but she didn't offer a retort, because she knew he was absolutely right.

"Well… I was a little foolish back then."

"Back then?" Hector asked sarcastically, quickly dodging the rock that went soaring above his head.

Lars kept his eyes on the spot even as they passed, musing. How could he feel a sense of gratitude toward a man who abducted her; robbed her of both her possessions and freedom?

Well, he would have never met her otherwise, right?

How twisted.

Lars frowned, shaking his head and turning away from the spot.

The sun did not blind them nearly as much as they thought it would. The cave had been too short, and their eyes did not require much time to adjust.

"Ugh…"

Rhen looked down, pulling her pocket out as Swilly sat up, holding her head.

"You're awake!" Rhen exclaimed happily. Swilly looked up at her in confusion.

"When did I fall asleep? Where are we? … Why does my body hurt?"

Lars refused to make eye contact, and Rhen let out a nervous laugh.

"We had some trouble with the birds," Hector explained, watching the little fairy's eyes widen.

"I knew they would try to eat me!" Swilly shouted.

"If they liked fairy pancakes, sure," Hector mumbled. Swilly looked confused while Rhen and Lars laughed.

They were just approaching the front of the village when Swilly looked at her surroundings. Her eyes landed on the welcoming post.

"Clearwater? I thought we were going to Sedona?"

"Minor detour," Hector spoke.

"PA!"

Upon seeing her father of seventeen years, Rhen couldn't help the excited burst. The man was standing in the front yard, scattered logs at his feet while a growing pile of symmetrically cut logs lay behind him.

He looked up, startled, when he heard the shout. The shock was immediately washed away by surprise and delight, and he threw his axe to the ground beside him.

"Rhen!"

With a big smile, Rhen gave him a huge hug, which was returned graciously. She reeled back from the hot body.

"You're sweating up a storm! Does Ma know you're overworking yourself again?"

"First time I've seen you in God only knows how long, and I get a lecture?" He replied, smiling.

"That's her alright," Hector remarked.

"Ah, and you have companions. I believe I remember you, but I don't know you," her pa said, staring at Hector curiously.

"Name's Hector. Nice to meet you, sir," Hector greeted as Rhen's jaw went slack.

"Where the heck did those manners come from?!" Rhen exclaimed.

Hector shot her a look.

"Here," Lars said, bending down and grabbing the ax, "Hector and I will finish this for you."

"You don't need to do that-"

"We don't need to do that!" Hector exclaimed in agreement, staring at Lars in horror.

Rhen snorted. Hector looked mortified at the thought of physical labor. There was no way she was letting him get out of this one!

"Thank you, Lars," Rhen said sweetly, smirking at Hector as she passed, "Pa, you just rest and let these guys take care of it. I'm going in to see Ma."

Her Pa waved, Hector seethed, Lars grabbed a log, and Swilly perched herself on Rhen's shoulder.

"Then I'll come with you!" Swilly announced.

A sense of familiarity washed over Rhen as she stepped into her old home. Even the scent was the same, and the proverbial sight of her Ma cooking over the stove nearly brought tears to her eyes.

You never know how much something means to you until it's gone.

"Ma!"

She hardly gave the woman enough time to turn around before engulfing her in a hug.

"Good heavens! Rhen?!" Ma exclaimed, returning the hug while carefully holding the sauce-covered spoon in her hand away from the smaller girl's body, "I'm so glad to see you… are you alright?"

She drew back at that statement, holding Rhen's chin up.

Rhen managed a smile.

"I'm as good as I can be," Rhen replied. The returning smile looked pained, so Rhen looked away, "Um… the passageway to Sedona. Why is it locked?"

"The larger cities have taken great precautions. Everything is highly guarded," Ma explained.

"But we got into Clearwater so easily…"

"Clearwater is but a little village, you know that. We haven't the money or the materials to set up a guard."

Rhen's lips tightened angrily.

"Then you all should be evacuated! It isn't safe here!"

"They have given us the key to the passageway in case we heard warning," Ma said.

"A lot of good that would do! That is a good stretch of land, you know. If you were attacked…"

Ma placed a finger on Rhen's lips, shaking her head.

"Now why would our little village be attacked?" Ma asked. It was a weak attempt to calm her down, both of them knew.

The poor aren't as privileged as the rich. It was a fact Rhen knew all too well.

"You said you have a key. We need it," Rhen spoke, changing the subject. Ma's eyebrows furrowed.

"We?"

"Lars, Hector, and Swilly are with me," Rhen said. Swilly, who had flown off Rhen's shoulder when she hugged her mother, now presented herself in front of Rhen's mom.

"Hi! I'm Swilly!" She greeted enthusiastically. Ma smiled in return before turning back to Rhen.

"Lars… he was that sorcerer, right? But I thought he was from Veldarah… were you out of Thais when the trouble started? That's why you're alright; thank goodness!"

Rhen winced, shifting her eyes away. She didn't want to tell her Ma what had really happened…

At that moment, the door opened. The guys trudged in, Hector's eye twitching violently.

"We're taking the key to unlock the passageway and bringing it back when we're finished in Sedona," Lars explained, revealing that they had been having the same discussion outside.

"Right. Ma, we're keeping that gate unlocked while we're in Sedona. I don't care if it's risky or not; I won't leave the people of Clearwater without a place to go for shelter," Rhen said. Her Ma simply smiled, knowing it was useless to argue, and nodded in agreement.

"That's my girl. I'll get the key," Pa said, walking into the back room.

Rhen blinked in surprise.

"The key is here?"

"Well of course. They entrusted it to the Godparents of the Queen of Thais," Ma spoke with pride. A sweat drop appeared on Rhen's head.

"It's not that special…" She trailed off, knowing it was useless. Her father came back into the room with a silver key dangling from a red string.

"Here," her Pa said, placing the necklace around her neck, "Be safe."

"Wait, we have to ask what she's doing…" Her ma trailed off at her husband's look.

"We'll help with anything we can. Remember that," Pa spoke. A smile broke out on Rhen's lips, her hand clutching the key around her neck.

"Yeah. Thanks so much," she praised, walking forward to give hugs of goodbye.

It pained her to feel the warmth of their arms. How she wanted to burry herself in the crook of her Ma's neck and forget the world outside existed. She could just be back here, back before everything got complicated, back when she was just a naïve teenager enjoying a normal life…

A sudden weight on her shoulders snapped her out of her reverie.

Lars had wrapped an arm around her shoulders and was now pulling her toward the exit.

"Thanks again," Lars said, giving a short wave before bending his head down to whisper in Rhen's ear, "You were about to make your Ma cry; clinging to her like that."

Rhen's face flushed in embarrassment. How long had she been standing in her mother's embrace while her thoughts ran off and left her behind?!

"Thanks…" Rhen replied with a breathy laugh. Lars stared at her a moment longer before retreating his arm back to his side. Rhen rolled her shoulders, noting with slight confusion how they hurt.

He didn't have to put _that_ much weight on her, did he?

"You have a very nice family, Rhen!" Swilly exclaimed.

"I hope that damn feather brain is gone," Hector remarked before Rhen could offer a reply to Swilly.

"If she isn't, you can always make more horrid clones, I guess," Rhen responded, making Hector flush.

"Let's see you try to make clones!" Hector shouted incredulously.

Rhen didn't reply.

---

Thankfully, the enraged mother bird was nowhere to be found and they had no problems reaching the passageway without disturbance. There was, however, an ambush of armor-stealing monsters waiting for them on the other end.

"Sedona should actually be thankful to these things. They offer more protection for the city," Hector remarked, jabbing at a dead carcass on the ground.

"Yeah, if they didn't attack the city folk as well," Swilly replied dryly.

The first thing they noticed about Sedona was that it was busy; possibly busier than they had seen it last. The amount of bodies moving to and fro created the illusion of the city moving itself.

"This place is overpopulated," Hector remarked with a sneer, dodging a running woman.

"It _is_ one of the greatest cities in the world," Rhen replied.

"And what's so great about it?"

"Do you have to complain about everything? Really?"

"There's our…" Lars began, a yawn interrupting, "free place to stay for tonight."

Everyone looked up at the huge house.

"I told you they were keeping up with it!" Rhen exclaimed, happy to see the windows clear and the paint fresh.

"How did you manage to buy something like this when you were still a peasant?" Hector asked.

"We were travelers; it's not like we didn't have money. Plus, it was a bargain," Rhen replied.

"Wow! This castle is huge!" Swilly exclaimed, staring up at the towers with widened eyes.

Rhen chuckled. The place was huge to her; think of what it was like to a fairy!

Her smile soon deteriorated when she realized she would once again be explaining the happenings of things in Thais. Well, to the best of her knowledge, anyway.

She dreaded to know what was currently going on there.

---

**And so the fifth chapter exists! Hope you liked it~**

Aoi Dragon: Thanks so much for the insightful review; you've even given me some ideas for later on! I update this very slowly, I know, but I do promise to finish it. Even if I have to write the last chapter when I'm ninety years old, lol


	6. Chapter 6

**Rush  
KikoAyumi**

**Pairing: **LarsxRhen DameonxRhen

**Rating:** T

**Warnings: **Offensive language, angst, and some mature situations. I will definitely warn beforehand.

**Planned Length: **Long. I'm going for a novel with this one.

**Updates: **Absolutely random. I don't have much time to sit and write any longer, so I can't promise anything.

**NOTES: **This takes place nearly two years after the end of Aveyond, when Rhen decided to become Queen and wed Dameon.

**Chapter 6**

---

"There is a sword here."

Rhen's heart fluttered in relief.

"But I'm afraid it's locked up tight. Kaizen," the King of Sedona spoke. A nearby guard saluted and stepped to attention, "Please fetch the key to the Red Room."

"Yes sir!" Kaizen responded, nodding to Rhen's group before making his leave.

"Red Room?" Hector inquired.

"It's where the sword is hidden. For safety purposes, we keep the key on the other side of the city. I'm sorry if this inconveniences you, but if I can ask you to wait a moment-"

"No problem, sir. There is another issue I wish to address, anyway," Rhen assured.

"And she wonders where my manners came from. Where the heck did all this formal talk come from?!" Hector muttered under his breath.

"Please go ahead."

"The people of Clearwater are unprotected as they are now. May they take refuge here, at least until the threat is over?" Rhen pleaded. Even though the thought of small, poor Clearwater being directly attacked was almost laughable, it was not entirely improbable.

"We've given them the key-"

"That is hardly enough," Rhen interjected, knowing it sounded a bit rude, but she couldn't help herself. Sedona was one of the richest cities in the world; they could afford to house a village, especially one as small as Clearwater, for a while.

"… Because it is a request from the Queen of Thais, we will do as you ask. I will send my guard to fetch the Clearwater residents and escort them back here," the King caved.

Rhen smiled in triumph.

---

"That was really nice of you, Rhen," Swilly commended as they walked out of the castle.

"Well, I had to. I have to make sure Ma and Pa are as safe as they can be," Rhen responded.

A growling stomach sounded through the air.

"Man, I am so hungry. I'll go get us something to eat! You said smoked salmon, right, Rhen?" Hector asked. Rhen blinked in surprise.

"You actually listened to me!"

Hector rolled his eyes.

"I'll come with you!" Swilly exclaimed, looking quite pleased at the thought of food herself. She perched herself on Hector's shoulder as they walked out into the town square.

Rhen sighed, taking a seat in the freshly cut grass.

"We haven't run into much trouble yet, have we?" Rhen asked, looking up at the sky. Lars plopped down next to her.

"Don't jinx it," he replied. Rhen's eyebrows furrowed before she turned to him.

"_You_ probably just jinxed it," Rhen accused. Lars shrugged, shifting until his back was to her. Without warning, he leaned back, settling his head on one of Rhen's crossed legs.

"Wha… hey, I'm not a pillow!" Rhen exclaimed, making Lars wince.

"Don't yell so loudly," he complained, his mouth opening in a large yawn. Rhen blinked, openly studying him now that his eyes were closed. Was his skin paler than normal?

And the way his body was slumped…

'He looks exhausted.'

And why wouldn't he be? He woke up early, was injured, used more mana than normal, chopped wood, fought monsters…

"You're spent, aren't you? Why didn't you say anything, stupid?" Rhen berated, halfheartedly swatting at his arm, "I appreciate the fact you wanted to help my Pa, but you can't push yourself like that!"

"So I'll go to bed early tonight," Lars curtly replied, clearly trying to end the discussion. Rhen sighed irritably. The boy could be so aggravating.

She stared at his face.

'He… really didn't change that much. He may look a little older.'

But that wouldn't always be the case. Five years from now… he'd definitely change then.

"… Will you visit me?" Rhen asked lowly.

"Hm?" Lars muttered sleepily. Rhen smiled.

"After Ahriman's defeat… the last time I saw you was at the wedding ceremony."

Lars squirmed underneath her leg.

"I'm with you now, aren't I?"

"That doesn't count under these circumstances! Did you _ever_ plan on visiting me?!" Rhen asked a little more harshly.

Lars frowned, but still kept his eyes shut.

"Is this really a big de-"

"Yes! I miss you!"

Lars grew still, contemplating his next words.

"… You were busy. And Dameon was there."

Rhen's jaw nearly dropped in disbelief.

"Now you're just making excuses," Rhen accused through narrowed eyes, not like Lars could see it.

He remained silent, and Rhen sighed.

"Look, I know you never really liked Dameon, but… that's just childish! Don't let Dameon come between you and me!"

Rhen was startled when Lars's eyes suddenly snapped open, catching her gaze. The sheer intenseness of it made Rhen nervous, but she did not dare look away. Even as…

Even as she watched him sit up; felt him take hold of her hands and link their fingers together…

She was glued to those brown pools with a horrid fascination.

"You're so dense."

The movement of his lips caused her gaze to flicker, and her throat grew tight as she noticed how very close they were.

What was this…?!

"Did you really have to say that?"

She was breathing in his breath. A mix of auburns and oranges were flooding her vision.

And then… a soft warmth brushing against her lips…

Made reality come crashing down like a tsunami wave.

With an audible gasp, Rhen threw herself backwards, clambering clumsily backward with her hands and feet digging into the earth until she was a good four feet away from him.

Lars's eyes focused, the haze fading around him, leaving him just as shocked as she.

… Well, maybe not _quite_ as shocked as she.

They stared, both torn, but for very different reasons.

'She looks horrified,' Lars concluded with a sinking heart. He tore his gaze away from her, not being able to stand it. He rose, brushing off his pants with shaking hands that he hoped she wouldn't notice.

"Ju… I'm… Forget about that."

And he walked away, leaving a highly confused Rhen staring after him on the grassy courtyard.

'Fo… forget… how the _HELL_ do you forget something like that?!' Rhen's mind screamed, the words echoing throughout her head. A hand came up to her mouth, carefully covering her lips.

Forget forgetting, why did he do it in the first place?!

This was Lars! Lars, of all people!

He…!

She started again, feeling cool metal against her lips. She retracted her hand, eyes widening when they came in contact with her ring.

Her _wedding_ ring.

Did this mean she just cheated on Da-

Her vision grew blurry; the solid gold band turning into wavering gold strands. Even though she could no longer distinguish its shape, she could still feel it there; still know what it was. She continued staring hard at the shaking gold blob, as if it would give her the answers she most desperately sought.

It didn't.

'Stop crying! Hector will be back soon! Do you want him to find you like this?!'

She hastily wiped her cheeks at the revelation.

It was of no use.

The tears, tears that she had been keeping inside this whole time, kept falling in hot streams. Why couldn't she stop?!

'It's ok! Right... Lars kissed me, not the other way around. So it's alright...'

A sob escaped her throat, and she very near punched the ground, frustrated that she couldn't hold her tears back. She felt utterly weak like this... if she couldn't stop her own tears, what could she accomplish?!

"Rhen?"

She stiffened, quickly burring her face in her knees.

Hector, sure he'd heard a sob as he walked up, approached with caution. He glanced at Swilly, who was looking at the girl worriedly, wanting to say something but not sure what to say.

He wasn't sure, either.

Jeez, this was the second time she cried in front of him!

Nervously tapping at the three boxes he held in his arms, he finally decided to go with a, "Where's Lars?"

He thought this would be the best way to approach. If he just steered clear of acknowledging the girl was crying...

But he merely got a sniff in response, not to mention bright red ears.

... What the heck could have happened in that little period of time?

He was never going to be the one who fetched lunch again!

"Ah... well... ok. Here," Hector said, setting a boxed lunch next to her. He had the courtesy to take a few giant steps back before settling on the grass himself, worriedly glancing at her.

At least, after a few seconds, she picked the box up and began eating, though purposefully turning the other way to hide her face.

"You don't think Lars was a jerk to her, do you?" Swilly whispered.

Hector frowned. He hated to admit it, but it was always a possibility. The fact that Lars was nowhere to be seen was also suspicious. But he wasn't willing to jump to conclusions this soon. She could simply be crying over Thais's takeover.

"We'll find out eventually," Hector whispered back, hoping that was the case. He hated being left in the dark.

Hector reached down to pick up a piece of fish, his hand brushing a small pile of napkins he'd grabbed.

'Ah...'

He'd forgotten to give Rhen any.

He glanced over.

... He'd chance it.

Grabbing a few white sheets, he stood up, turning to Swilly with a finger over his lips. She watched with wide eyes as he approached the young woman.

To his luck, she was too dazed off to notice his approach until he was a step away. Startled, she whipped up to stare at him.

Hector scowled at her red, puffy eyes, and quickly leaned down.

"I don't know what the hell happened," Hector began, using the napkin to dab at the corners of her eyes and her cheeks, "But you look like shit."

Rhen stared... until a laugh ripped from her throat.

"Jerk..." She managed, ashamedly looking away.

"Yep. Sorry, but you'll have to deal with me for a little while longer," Hector said, noticing the guard from earlier walking up to the castle doors, "Looks like our key is here. Here, take these and finish the job."

Rhen accepted the napkins, soiling them with her tears.

"My eyes are red and puffy, huh? I can't go in like this," Rhen concluded.

"Fine. I'll go in and retrieve the key, but they are going to ask questions. Plus, you're the only one who can actually get the sword."

"Ugh... now I agree with Lars. That sucks," Rhen replied.

"Suck it up," Hector responded, sticking out his tongue and grabbing two boxed lunches before making his way to the castle. Rhen shook her head, blocking her vision with the napkins.

"I can help your situation!" Swilly exclaimed, making Rhen jump. She'd nearly forgotten the fairy was there.

"Huh?"

"Your eyes. Here," Swilly spoke, placing her hands on the bridge of Rhen's nose.

---

By the time Hector reached the throne room, the guard was already handing the key to Lars.

"Here's your lunch!" Hector greeted, holding out the boxes.

"Thanks," Lars responded, less enthusiastically as he took the top box from the pile, "Where are Rhen and Swilly?"

"Ah, they're enjoying their lunch outs-"

"We're right here!" Swilly suddenly exclaimed. Hector blinked, confused, when he noticed Rhen's eyes were cleared. They, however, were looking at random spots all over the castle walls.

"Here's the key," Lars said, holding out the silver object. Rhen looked up at him, startled.

After a moment's hesitation, she snatched the key from his hand.

'He's really going on like nothing happened...!'

Angry, she stomped passed him and into the hallway.

"Uh... wait! You don't know the way!" The guard yelled, running after her.

There was a momentary silence, the majority of the people in the throne room bewildered by the queen's sudden attitude. Hector observed Lars closely, waiting for something that would give him away.

"Where do you plan on journeying after this?" The King finally asked, cutting the silence.

"I'm not sure, sire. We'll discuss a plan tonight," Lars answered.

"So you plan to stay in Sedona for the night? Alright... I would suggest Dirkon, though I would be careful."

"Dirkon? Why do you think such a place would hold a sword?"

"Dirkon has become quite a prosperous city. These past few Springs have brought freak weather for us; our corn wouldn't grow. We, as well as other surrounding nations, had to buy all of it all from Dirkon," the King explained before frowning, "Though, I do believe this economic increase has gone to their heads a bit."

"Then we'll check it out," Lars concluded, curious. Dirkon was such a misfortunate city... it was hard picturing anything otherwise.

"Looks like we have the sword of Light now."

Rhen emerged, holding the newfound sword horizontally across her hands.

Hector blanched.

"What the heck is with these swords?! Pink, now _yellow_? How freaking girly can you get?!" He exclaimed.

"Oh, who cares about the color? Be happy you have another sword!" Swilly reminded.

"If we're done here, I'd like to go to the mansion now," Rhen said, looking at the King in question. He nodded his head.

"The people of Clearwater should be arriving sometime in the evening. I will send word when they get here."

"Thank you!" Rhen replied, and the four made their leave.

Hector did not miss the glances Lars was getting from Rhen the whole way to the mansion.

---

"You know, we only have two now," Lars began, settling the sword of Dreams and the sword of Light on the dining room table, "But they'll be really troublesome to carry when we get more."

"We'll by sheaths. It shouldn't be that difficult," Hector replied.

"Wow! I'm gonna explore this place!" Swilly spoke excitedly, zipping around the house.

"Sounds like a good idea," Hector said, walking out of the dining room. There was a short, awkward silence between the two left.

"I'll get a bath in," Lars said, also departing. Rhen let out the breath she hadn't even known she was holding when he disappeared.

How was she going to continue this journey now that things were so awkward between them? Was something like that really so simple to forget?

... _Why_ did he kiss her?!

But why did she even keep asking herself? No matter what the reason... in the end, it wouldn't matter.

She rubbed the band on her finger before shaking her head, determined to stop thinking about it. If he could put it behind him, then she could too!

Too bad she walked right into a familiar place in the hallway just as she decided this. She had been in this very spot when Lars had first apologized; the minute they began building their friendship.

Ugh, why did everything lead back to him lately?!

But, she smiled anyway, remembering the incredibly embarrassed young man fumbling for words that day.

"Why are you just standing there?"

Rhen jumped, turning to face Hector with a frown.

"Don't just sneak up on me like that," Rhen accused, though she knew it was entirely her fault for not paying attention, "I just remembered this is where Lars first apologized for being so mean to me."

"Wow, you have a good memory."

Rhen chuckled.

"The big bad Lars said he was sorry to his former slave! How could I forget something like that?!"

_She was breathing in his breath. A mix of auburns and oranges were flooding her vision._

_And then… a soft warmth brushing against her lips…_

Unbidden, a red hue crossed Rhen's cheeks and nose.

"_Ju… I'm… Forget about that."_

Hector rose an eyebrow at her predicament. She didn't give him a chance to ask, brushing passed him with quick steps. Swilly flew to the side when Rhen nearly bumped right into her, before flying over to Hector.

The two shared curious glances.

To their surprise, Rhen came back out, though her pace did not slow. Keeping her head down, she brushed passed them again, heading for the dining area.

"I'm going for a walk."

Hector opened his mouth to talk, but was greeted by the closing of the front door. He sighed irritably, running a hand through his hair.

"Fine then!" He huffed, stomping over to the dining room table.

Now alone, Swilly sighed in boredom.

---

He was going to kill that clock.

He'd been sitting an the dining room table, busily polishing the swords with nothing else better to do, and that stupid clock had been tick-tocking its way to an early grave.

With Rhen gone who-knows-where, Lars not yet emerged from the bathroom, and Swilly more-than-likely sleeping in the back room, the silence was deafening. He supposed he could be using the time to get some sleep, but he was determined to confront Lars about what was going on.

Being kept in the dark was just no fun.

Now if only the guy would come _out_ already!

He lifted the sword of Dreams up, catching his reflection in the blade. He frowned, taking in the unkept hair and wrinkled clothing. His mother would surely scold him if she saw him like this.

A door opened, and Hector turned to see Lars finally come out.

"The pink sword suits you," Lars drawled, making Hector flush.

"Shut up!" Hector exclaimed, dropping the sword with a clang. Lars shook his head as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Be careful with those things," Lars warned, opening the cooler's door. He sighed, telling himself he should have known nothing would be in it; they may keep up with the house, but there was certainly no reason to stock it.

Resigning to a glass of water, he opened a nearby cupboard, searching for the glasses. By the time he found the correct cabinet, a chill was running down his spine. He turned with a glare, confirming his thought.

Hector was staring at him.

"What?!"

"You're acting weird."

Lars moved to the sink, placing the glass underneath the faucet before turning it on, "And how is getting a glass of water weird?"

"Rhen's acting even weirder."

Hector inwardly grinned when Lars fumbled to turn the water off.

"She ran out, you know. Hasn't come back; didn't say where she was going..."

"What the hell? How could you let her go without getting any information!?"

"She wouldn't even look at me. Now what the hell happened?"

Lars's jaw grew taught as they stared each other down. Hector noticed with mild vexation that the ticking of the clock was once again prominent in the silence.

"I...!" Lars shouted, before lowering his head and growing considerably quieter, "I fucked up."

"Thought so."

"I kissed her."

"... You kissed her."

"Yeah."

"Just like that?"

"Yeah."

"No explanation?"

"No."

"... You kissed her."

"Stop repeating it!"

"How could you do that?!"

"Do what?" Swilly asked, flying into the dining room rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Noth-"

"Lars kissed Rhen!"

"What?!"

"Hector!"

"What?"

"You like Rhen!?"

"Wha... no! Er..."

"Oh, he does."

"Oh my gosh!"

"Hector, you're a dead man!"

Hector quickly ducked as a glass came flying toward his face. It broke with a loud shatter against the wall behind him.

"Wait, wait," Hector rushed, putting his hands up in surrender, "What happened afterwards?"

Lars now had the cabinet wide open, grabbing another glass. He chucked it, scowling when Hector dodged.

"Nothing! It's all forgotten, ok?!"

Another glass shattered next to Hector. Lars reached for yet another, but stopped with his hand in midair. With a shallow breath, he leaned against the counter.

"... Hey, man. You alright?"

Lars's head swung down.

"I'm exhausted."

Hector cautiously stepped forward. His friend could have very well been tricking him, ready to smash a glass in his face.

But as he grew closer, he could see the fatigue lined on his face.

"You don't look good. Here," Hector offered, taking hold of Lars's arm and wrapping it around his shoulders. Within minutes, he had Lars tucked into bed. He sighed, feeling a little guilty to have riled him up while he wasn't in the best condition.

Once back in the dining room, he crouched down, fingers slipping over a large shard of glass.

"Clearly not forgotten," Hector muttered to himself.

"... Isn't Rhen married?" Swilly asked, sitting on the edge of the table. Her feet dangled off the side, swinging back and forth.

"... Yeah. She is," Hector replied. Hearing no further questions out of the fairy's mouth, be busied himself with picking up the broken glass.

It wasn't long before the front door opened. Rhen paused after shutting the door, staring at the broken glass.

"... Where'd all the glass come from?"

"Nevermind that; I'm picking it up. Don't go running off without telling someone where you're going next time, ok?"

"Aw, worried about me?" Rhen joked.

"When you make an exit like that, yes."

Rhen was momentarily taken aback.

"... Lars is sick."

Rhen's eyes widened in alarm, "What do you mean sick?"

"He's been through a lot day; his body is really worn out. All that stress could cause a fever."

"Where is he now?"

"In the back room, resting."

Though she was apprehensive about meeting Lars face to face, her worry overpowered the awkwardness. Plus, it wasn't like she would be able to avoid Lars anyway.

Just forget, like he said.

Even though she tried to convince herself to do just that, she was immensely relieved to see Lars asleep when she walked in the room. Quietly, she strolled over to the bed, gently placing the back of her hand to his forehead.

She cringed at the heat, swiftly turning to head back to the kitchen. A cold cloth would help.

"I'll take my bath now," Hector announced when she walked in the room, "Lars was worried about you running off, too."

Rhen inwardly sighed, wondering what that little comment was for. Probably to make her feel guilty.

And it was kind of working.

But it was of no use now. All was said and done.

After dampening the cloth with cold water, she made her way back to the bedroom, carefully placing the cloth on his forehead. He stirred, but didn't wake.

"Don't slow us down by catching a fever, you idiot," Rhen whispered halfheartedly, offering a small smile before leaving him in peace, "What in the world am I going to do with you?"

It was a casual statement.

She refused to acknowledge how serious it really was.

**---**

And chapter 6 is finally up on !


	7. Chapter 7

**Rush**  
KikoAyumi

**Pairing:** LarsxRhen DameonxRhen  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Offensive language, angst, and some mature situations. I will definitely warn beforehand.  
**Planned Length:** Long. I'm going for a novel with this one.  
**Updates:** Absolutely random. I don't have much time to sit and write any longer, so I can't promise anything.

**NOTES:** This takes place nearly two years after the end of Aveyond, when Rhen decided to become Queen and wed Dameon.

**Chapter 7**

---------------------------------

The heat that had emitted from Lars's head had been scorching to her hand. Therefore, Rhen was greatly surprised to be woken up by Hector the next morning, telling her they were heading out soon.

"What about Lars?" Rhen asked dubiously.

"He says he's fine. He just needed a good night's rest," Hector replied before disappearing down the hallway. Rhen stretched her muscles out, vaguely wondering what time it was. The sun was already bright and streaming through her window.

She heaved herself out of bed, bare feet brushing the floor as she made her way over to the window. She pulled the sheer curtains aside, her eyes squinting into the light that warmed her body.

The town had wasted no time in becoming busy.

"Rhen!"

She turned upon Swilly's voice and watched as the fairy zoomed toward her, holding out a key.

"Hector told me to give this to you," she spoke, dropping the key in Rhen's outstretched hand, "We'll be going to Dirkon in a few minutes!"

"Dirkon? We have to go to Clearwater first," Rhen reminded, confused when Swilly shook her head.

"Hector says we don't! Sedona has already sent some of their people to bring the Clearwater citizens back here!"

Rhen's eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't common for a place like Sedona to bother with small things like this.

She didn't know if it was because of the threat against the world, or her own status, but whichever it was, she was entirely grateful.

After a rush of changing and packing her belongings, though she'd hardly unpacked anything but the necessities and that washcloth for Lars, she made her way to the dining room with Swilly traveling on her head.

The guys were already in there, sitting at the dining room table conversing, and they shushed when she walked in. She raised a brow, but decided not to ask, walking over to the cabinet to retrieve a glass.

.. Why did it seem like there were glasses missing?

"And she's finally up," Hector drawled, resting his elbows against the dining room table, "It's after one already, you know."

Rhen turned the faucet on before replying, "You could have woken me up at any time. And how did you manage to convince the Sedona guard to escort everyone from Clearwater?"

Hector stuck out his chest and beamed with pride.

"Because I am amazing and can get things done around here! Unlike you two useless people; lying around in bed all day. I even took a trip to feed Solaris!" Hector boasted.

Rhen was indeed impressed, though due to Hector's "I'm the best thing ever" display, she decided to shrug it off like it wasn't a big deal. She did feel momentarily bad, however, for forgetting about Solaris. The poor thing must have been starving when Hector showed up.

She turned her attention to Lars, who was sitting across from Hector, eyes tracing over the designs in the wooden table absentmindedly.

He still looked pale.

"Are you even well enough to travel?" Rhen inquired.

"I'm fine. We can't waste time, anyway. Here," Lars spoke, turning to hold out her now-dry washcloth.

Rhen scowled. Not even a thank you for taking care of him, huh?

"Yeah, I bet you're fine with that near eleven hours of sleep! My poor beauty sleep was lost to talking with the king!" Hector proclaimed.

"_Beauty_ sleep?!" Rhen exclaimed, giggling before taking a sip of water, "Sorry, but I doubt that's ever going to work."

"Haha. Instead of an insult, how about a 'thank you'?" Hector scowled.

"…" Rhen scowled back, knowing he was right, "Fine then. Thank y- ow!"

Rhen jumped when a sharp pain pierced through her foot. Balancing herself on one foot, she anchored the other up into the light so she could see. A small shard of glass was lodged in the ball of her foot.

"Oh, you're great at cleaning up," Rhen remarked, recalling Hector picking glass up yesterday as she carefully pulled the shard out.

"Sorry."

Rhen raised a brow when she heard all three of her companions utter the word, and curiously observed as they looked at each other in surprise.

"… Ok, what exactly did I miss yesterday?"

"You're the one who decided to run out without telling anyone where you were going," Lars spoke hastily, refusing to look her way as he sat up, scraping the chair across the floor in the process, "Tough luck."

Rhen watched him make his way to the front door, stopping to slip his boots on. With a frown, she wiped the small line of blood that had formed on her foot before setting it back on the floor.

"And you ran off without telling me why. Maybe we're even?" Rhen shot out, jaw tight. Lars froze with his foot halfway in his shoe.

Hector blanched. He did not want to be in the middle of this!

"Ok then!" Hector exclaimed with a newfound vigor as he stood, "No more diddy-daddling! Off to Dirkon!"

---

'This is _not_ going as planned.'

Lars inwardly sighed, casting sidelong glances at the girl who continued to deprive her friends of any acknowledgement since they left the mansion.

He was supposed to just forget it happened. He was supposed to make her forget it happened.

But, no, he had to confess to Hector, let Swilly know in the process, get himself all riled up, and end up attacking Rhen instead of being nonchalant. The tense atmosphere was killing him.

_"And you ran off without telling me why. Maybe we're even?"_

Lars placed a hand over his forehead, feeling it pound beneath his hold. So he may have fibbed a bit when he said he was good to go, but Rhen had been worried about her family and their time was running short. A little white lie wasn't going to hurt.

Maybe his head hurt a little, but that wasn't the point.

The point was, now he knew that she most definitely didn't forget about the ki-… the incident. But did he really ever expect her to? He had hoped, at least…

And now, do to his own stupidity; he had made the situation worse. Instead of just being curious, now he had made her bitter about it.

He was extremely grateful to Hector for suddenly rushing them out like he had. What could he have said?

What the heck could he say _now_?!

The armor-stealing monsters had surprisingly been very few, and they were already near the plateau gateway to Dirkon. Who knows; maybe even the monsters were afraid of the negative airwaves around them!

"How far away are we from Ylisfar?" Swilly bravely asked, breaking the silence.

"Ylisfar is to the South. We'll be going there soon after Dirkon," Lars responded, knowing Hector had no clue.

"Do I hear water?" Hector inquired. He really wouldn't have cared otherwise, but now that conversation had started, he was going to try and keep it.

"The ocean is right behind this wall," Lars responded. Swilly's eyes lit up.

"Really?!" She exclaimed, suddenly flying upwards. Hector raised an eyebrow.

"I understand getting excited about seeing a dragon for the first time, but come on, we flew across the ocean to get here!" Hector exclaimed.

"She's easily excitable," Lars shrugged.

"What is that?" Rhen spoke, startling the boys. They all looked forward at what was once a clear, narrow pathway. Bulky wooden pillars sharpening into spikes at the top filled in the small gap in between the plateaus, effectively blocking out visitors.

"The king did say they were more prosperous… maybe they actually need protection now. The Thieves Caves aren't very far from here," Lars replied as they all came up to the gate. Hector stepped forward and knocked on the wood.

"Helloooo?" Hector called out.

"What's your business here?"

The voice came from above. A young boy looked down at them from the plateau, one arm wrapped around one of the spikes.

"Isn't he nosy?" Hector muttered under his breath before growing louder, "We're travelers! Need to restock."

The boy stared at them for a moment longer before nodding his head and disappearing behind the gate. Rhen looked at Hector inquisitively.

"Why did you lie?"

"Didn't lie. We really need to buy some sheaths for these swords, so why not here? Anyway, we need powerful people to talk to. No need to tell a lad anything," Hector explained just as the large gate began opening.

The town that came into view shocked Lars and Rhen.

It looked nothing like the Dirkon they knew. In fact, it looked more like a miniature Sedona!

"He really wasn't kidding," Lars remarked. Hector, oblivious to the dramatic change, waltzed right in.

"Hey, can you tell me where the closest weaponry shop is?" Hector asked the boy.

"Follow the pathway down the hill, then turn right," the boy responded, pointing in that very direction. Hector turned and saluted the other two.

"I'll meet up with you guys later," Hector spoke before turning on his heel and leisurely walking down the pathway. He purposefully took his time, not wanting to risk the chance of coming back when Lars and Rhen were talking about a certain predicament.

Lars immediately began fidgeting when he found himself alone with Rhen.

"… Is Swilly still looking at the ocean?" Lars asked timidly. Rhen merely shrugged, taking in the new sights of the town.

People were busily rushing to and fro, buying things from street vendors and chatting amongst small groups of people. A child was crying to the left, a couple hand-in-hand on the left, and…

Was it just her, or was everyone staring a little too long?

"Lars?" Rhen questioned lowly, forgetting about being angry for a moment and looking up at him. She could tell he had the same thoughts, for his brows were creased together.

She wasn't imagining it. People were staring and muttering under their breath to each other.

"Excuse me?"

They turned, seeing the boy from the gate come up behind them. He stared at Rhen for a while before continuing, "Aren't you the Queen of Thais?"

Was that why there was so much commotion? Well, since their business in this town would be revealed soon anyway, she decided to go for it.

"No-"

"Yes…"

Rhen whipped her head toward Lars. They had said it at the same time, so she couldn't take back her answer. But why lie…?

All hell broke loose at the drop of a dime.

"It IS the Queen!"

"Get her out!"

"Destroy her!"

Panic seized the town. People began running, some away from them and some… toward them, with murderous faces.

"What-"

Lars grabbed Rhen's arm quickly, pulling her back the way they'd come. Rhen nearly tripped from the sudden force, but managed to keep up with his pace.

"What the heck!?" Rhen shouted in confusion. Her hand tightened around Lars's wrist in fear she would lose her balance.

"I don't know, but we aren't very welcome here!" Lars exclaimed back.

The gate they had come through was already tightly shut. Cursing under his breath, Lars changed their course, running up the steep hill of the plateau.

Unfortunately, they were quickly stopped short as archers came in view on the hill, pulling back their arrows.

"They're going to sh-," Rhen exclaimed when the arrows flew at them, "kya!"

She winced when the arrows smashed against the shield Lars put up. The weapons shattered and fell to the ground.

"Damn it," Lars cursed, watching them reload their arrows. He knew he and Rhen couldn't stay there forever; the others would catch up fast. On the other hand, he didn't want to have to kill these men if he didn't need to… "Swilly!"

He spotted the fairy over the four archers, spreading silver dust in the air. Before the next arrows could be shot, the archers wavered and fell to the ground, asleep.

"Go, go, they're close!" Rhen exclaimed, pushing Lars up the hill. Lars looked back, scanning the furious faces. His eyes caught sight of a head of dark blue hair standing by the gate and his eyes narrowed.

"Poison," Lars muttered, sending a blast of his deadly magic soaring toward the kid. Rhen looked horrified as the purple miasma hit the boy.

"You killed him!?" Rhen exclaimed. Lars grabbed her hand in reassurance.

"That boy is the only one who knows Hector came with us. Hector is our only hope right now, since he's inside the town," Lars explained. She wasn't pleased, but didn't argue as the words sunk in.

_Why_ would this town attack the Queen of Thais?

"I was afraid of this," Lars murmured as they came to the edge of the cliff. Waves crashed against the rocks below.

"What do we do now?!" Rhen exclaimed. The angry yells were becoming louder, feeding her panic.

"They'll catch up soon!" Swilly warned, flying down to their eye level. Lars nodded.

"Swilly, try not to be seen and go to Hector. Tell him everything that happened and to hang around the water's edge, alright?"

"What about you two?" Swilly asked worriedly.

"We'll be fine; go," Lars commanded, and Swilly flew off without another word, "Rhen, we have to jump."

"JUMP?!" Rhen screeched, looking down at the water and back up at Lars, "Do you know how long of a drop that is?! And there are rocks everywh-"

Lars placed a finger in Rhen's lips.

"We have no other choice."

Rhen pulled her face away.

"But-"

"Trust me," Lars said vehemently, wrapping an arm around her torso and holding her close, "You know I'll never let anything happen to you."

Rhen was momentarily struck speechless by the intensity of his gaze, but then squeaked when a small explosion sounded off near their feet. Smoke rose into the air.

"They have magic wielders now," Lars muttered under his breath, "We have to jump now. I have you."

Rhen stared at him through wide eyes, the sound of the crashing waves below bombarding her ears. Nevertheless, she found herself gripping Lars's shirt.

Taking that as his cue, Lars flung both of them off the cliff. Rhen squeezed her eyes shut, burying her face in his chest, her body stiffening to feel the impact of the water. Her feet grew extremely light, the wind whipping against her skin, before her body was abruptly whipped upwards, nearly taking her breath away.

She was floating in midair. Or, at least, that's how it felt.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Blue invaded her vision.

She whipped her head back, staring wide-eyed at the bottom of the sea. A school of fish were frantically swimming away from her, each one hiding themselves amongst the coral and seaweed.

Cautiously, she breathed in. Oxygen filled her lungs.

"How…?"

Then she noticed that she was seeing everything through a blue-tinted shield.

Lars blinked a couple times, a smile forming on his face.

"Well. It worked," Lars spoke. Rhen's eyes widened even more.

"You didn't know if it would work and you made me jump off a cliff?!" Rhen shouted, stepping back out of his hold. She immediately felt weird, cautiously tapping her foot around on the shield's surface. It felt like walking on air.

"I was pretty sure it would work… and I was right," Lars said, smirking, "I told you to trust me."

"You…" Rhen started, before shaking her head with the smallest grin on her face, "I don't even know what to say."

She dropped herself on the surface, hiding her face in her arms. Her body was still shaking.

"Thank you, Lars The Great. I can't express how grateful I am to you… I'll do anything to repay you!"

"Yeah right!" Rhen exclaimed, lifting her head and laughing aloud.

"I'm really happy to see you laughing again," Lars said sincerely, startling Rhen, "… but then again, I'm going to have to ask you to stop, because we only have a limited supply of oxygen in this bubble before we'll have to resurface."

Rhen blinked, the seriousness of the situation finally coming back to her brain as the thrill of jumping off a cliff began fading.

"I guess it really doesn't matter, though. We have to talk about this, so we'll be wasting oxygen anyway," Lars continued, his smile dimming, "Do you think Dirkon's people are being controlled by something like the druids are?"

Rhen immediately shook her head.

"It's not the same. Their eyes still have vibrancy… they're not lifeless," Rhen explained desolately, "But why would they attack me? They wanted me dead!"

Lars scowled.

"If there ends up being no sword in that place, I will be thoroughly pissed off," Lars spat.

"And what about Hector?! We don't know if that boy at the gate mentioned anything to anyone before…"

"I doubt he did. I'm sure Hector's fine," Lars tried to assure. Rhen sighed, looking up. She could vaguely see the sunlight hitting the water.

"They'll think we drowned," Rhen commented.

"All the better," Lars replied, sighing, "I wish I could see through the water. I have no idea how long they'll be watching for us."

"You'll run out of mana like this…" Rhen responded worriedly. Lars gave a curt nod.

"Yeah. There's that too," Lars said before sitting down on the floor of the shield. Rhen followed suit, sitting cross-legged in front of him.

"How much time do we have before we'll need oxygen?" Rhen inquired. Lars shrugged.

"I really don't know," Lars responded, walking to the very edge of the shield with a curious look in his eyes, "I wonder…"

He lifted his leg, planting his foot on the side of the shield. It didn't budge.

"Rhen, you're heavy, get over here," Lars said, looking back at her.

"Excuse me?!" an outraged Rhen replied, though following his instructions, "I am _not _heavy!"

"Do what I'm doing," Lars replied, dismissing her anger. After sending a death glare, Rhen lifted her leg and pushed against the wall. She nearly lost her balance when the shield began turning.

"It really is like a giant ball! We'll move around like this. That way I won't have to use more mana to move us," Lars explained.

"Where are we going, though?"

"Follow the shoreline. Hopefully Swilly found Hector and told him what happened."

Rhen's eyes roamed the ocean floors as she and Lars pushed their way through the water. The ocean was calm, and the seaweed twisting and dancing around the coral was mesmerizing.

Despite their situation, Rhen was excited. Who even dreamed of seeing things like this?!

She craned her head as she pushed her leg downward, turning toward Lars. The two had easily fallen into unison, effectively rolling across the sandy floor quickly. When her gaze found his face, she was surprised he did not seem to even notice the brilliant sight ahead of them.

In fact… his eyes looked to be focusing on nothing.

Rhen's chest constricted as panic momentarily blinded her. She shook her head roughly to drown out the images.

'No… it's not the same,' Rhen thought to herself, studying her companion. He was breathing more harshly than needed, despite his earlier warning about the oxygen they had left, and a trickle of sweat cascaded down the side of his pale face.

Her eyes widened.

"Lars, stop!" Rhen exclaimed, grabbing his shoulder, "You're still sick, aren't you?!"

Lars frowned, trying to shrug off her hand.

"It's no big deal. Come on; I think we can surface if we just get a little further," Lars tried to amend, placing his foot on the wall.

"This is far enough. Let the shield go," Rhen argued, worried. He was clearly pushing himself.

"I am not letting this shield fall until I'm sure you're safe," Lars replied, locking his eyes with her. His expression was daring her to object.

And object she did.

"You could quite possibly pass out before I'm safe, you idiot! How far do you plan to go? There's no guarantee we're going to be safe a mile from here!"

"Don't yell," Lars sighed, placing a hand on his head. He hated to admit she was right. His head was spinning and his body felt weak. "Hold your breath."

Rhen smiled, inhaling a big breath of air. She stepped forward and grabbed hold of Lars's hand just as the shield disappeared.

The cold water was a shock as her body floated in the water. She felt Lars's hand tighten around hers as they made their way to the surface.

Her head emerged from the water's surface, hair plastering itself to her head. She quickly wiped the water from her eyes and looked around, scanning for threats.

"It's freezing!" Lars whispered, annoyed as he tried to keep his teeth from chattering.

"Come on. I don't see anyone," Rhen whispered back, tugging him toward the sandy shore. She was relieved when her feet found solid ground beneath the water.

"Is there any place to hide out?" Lars asked, searching the trees lining the shore.

"We can't just hide somewhere! Hector and Swilly have to have a chance to find us," Rhen spoke. Her clothes felt extremely heavy as she left the water behind.

She felt Lars's hand fall away before hearing the thump behind her. Rhen whipped around, eyes widening at seeing Lars lying face down on the sand.

"Lars?!" Rhen exclaimed, dropping down on her knees beside him.

"Don't yell, idiot," Lars mumbled, slowly turning himself over and flinging an arm over his forehead to block out the sun, "You want to give our position away?"

Rhen's cheeks puffed up.

"Well don't suddenly drop dead like that!" Rhen whispered harshly, crossing her arms in an angry pout. Lars looked at her and smiled.

"I told you, I'm fine. Just… really tired," Lars replied with a yawn. Rhen sighed, fidgeting in her heavy clothes. Seeing cliffs not too far away, she began stripping herself of her Swordsinger outfit.

"Our clothes will dry quicker up there on the cliffs. Give me your robe and shirt," Rhen said, now in just a tank and shorts as she tried to wring out her red outfit.

"Heh. You just want to see me half naked," Lars remarked.

Rhen turned an interesting shade of red and purple.

"_Excuse_ me- geh?!"

A wad of wet clothes promptly hit Rhen in the face.

"You..!" Rhen threatened, snatching the wet clothes off her face. Lars was lying there peacefully, as if he didn't say anything at all.

Her eyes slowly traveled down to his neck and almost lower before she nearly broke her neck snapping her head back.

'_What_ am I doing!?'

The flustered girl stood and hastily made her way down the shore, muttering things like, "Stupid Lars!" and "It's because he screwed up my mind with that stupid kiss!"

She spread the clothing out on the rocks, letting the sun work its magic. Tapping her fingers against the stone, she glanced back in the area she'd just left.

'Do I even want to go back there?' Rhen asked herself nervously, 'This is stupid. It was just a comment to tease me, like always. I shouldn't feel all… weird like this. Grr… Lars, you big idiot!'

During her inner tirade, Rhen didn't notice a figure quietly stepping out of the woods.

Not until she felt something grab her arm.

---


	8. Chapter 8

**Rush**  
KikoAyumi

**Pairing:** LarsxRhen DameonxRhen  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Offensive language, angst, and some mature situations. I will definitely warn beforehand.  
**Planned Length:** Long. I'm going for a novel with this one.  
**Updates:** Absolutely random. I don't have much time to sit and write any longer, so I can't promise anything.

**NOTES:** This takes place nearly two years after the end of Aveyond, when Rhen decided to become Queen and wed Dameon.

**Chapter 8**

**---**

_During her inner tirade, Rhen didn't notice a figure quietly stepping out of the woods. _

_Not until she felt something grab her arm._

It was instantaneous. In her moment of panic, Rhen created a string of electricity zipping through her body, traveling to the hand around her lower arm.

She heard a garbled screech and felt the hand slip away as she turned, wide-eyed, to look at her attacker.

She most definitely did not expect to see a fried Hector sitting on the ground, hair sticking straight up and eye twitching violently.

"Hector?!" Rhen exclaimed, instinctively reaching out to help, but then drawing her hand back in fear of getting herself electrocuted.

Laughter suddenly reached her ears, and she turned to see Lars having a field day, pointing at Hector.

'Why is he laughing?! If I would have put all my power into that... I could have really hurt him! _Did_ I really hurt him? He's not talking and he won't stop twitching...

…'

Rhen felt the corner of her lips perk up despite herself. She had to admit, it was a funny sight.

Hector really should avoid getting his hair spiked.

"Y... you... bitch," Hector finally wheezed out, shaking his head cautiously.

Yep, he was fine. Rhen reasoned it was alright to laugh now, so she joined Lars without second thought.

"It serves you right for sneaking up on me," Rhen chided. Hector took a deep breath, gathering his wits and slowly twisting and turning every limb until he got feeling back. Rendering it safe enough, Rhen stepped forward and tousled his hair to get it back to normal. Hector growled and moodily shooed her away from him.

Rhen smiled. Despite the current situation, she was extremely glad to see he was okay. But speaking of...

"Where's Swilly?" Rhen inquired, looking around for the overactive fairy.

"I left her in Dirkon so she could sneak around and find clues about the sword," Hector responded, standing and looking down at her, "What the hell happened? People were panicking in there; saying something about destroying the Queen of Thais!"

"Yeah, it was a shock to us, too," Rhen replied, frowning in thought, "Do you think... could they think that I'm responsible for this?"

The solution had practically hit Rhen right in the middle of the eyes. It was her country that was threatening the world... people were scared. Probably scared of anything that came from the country causing such peril!

Hector huffed.

"Idiots. The warnings didn't say the Queen of Thais turned evil," Hector chastised. Rhen turned her gaze to the waves of the ocean as she pondered.

"The only one who can retrieve the sword is one of Pendragon blood. I'm going to have to sneak in somehow-"

"Thanks to our earlier appearance, the guard is going to be twice, maybe three times as heavy," Hector reminded.

Rhen caught sight of Lars from the corner of her eye, and she turned to him with an eyebrow raised. The guy hadn't said a thing since he stopped laughing at Hector.

"Lars?" Rhen asked, jogging up to where he lay. She was scared for a moment, taking in his motionless state, before seeing that his chest rose and dropped normally.

He was asleep.

"He's worn out," Rhen whispered, hearing Hector walk up behind her.

"Is it safe for him to sleep out in the open like this?" Hector whispered back.

"Not really," Rhen replied, kneeling beside him. Despite her answer, she made no move to change his position, and chuckled, "I almost don't have the heart to wake him."

Well, Hector did.

"You!" Hector said, pushing at Lars's shoulder with his foot, "You can rest under some shelter, kay?"

Lars jerked awake, squinting his eyes against the sunlight. Rhen glared at Hector for the rude awakening.

With a light groan, Lars sat up and looked up at Hector.

"Aw, the spikes are gone. That was quite a look you had going," Lars muttered with a crooked smile. Hector flushed in anger and made choking motions with his hands. Rhen giggled, rolled her eyes, and took hold of Lars's arm. She helped him up before throwing his arm over her shoulders.

Lars raised a brow.

"I can get around, you know," Lars said, a yawn breaking out at the end of his sentence.

"Take the help without complaint and don't fall asleep on our way to the trees, okay? I don't want you collapsing again," Rhen responded. Without any further complaint, Lars allowed himself to be tugged over to the shelter of the trees.

"What about your clot-"

"I'll go get them," Rhen said, already thinking about it. Finding a cubbyhole in the side of the cliff, Rhen let go of Lars and let him sink to the ground.

"It's cooler," Lars mumbled, already about to slip into dreamland again. Rhen smiled, finding the fact he could hardly keep his head up straight cute.

But she quickly dismissed the thought.

"I'll go get our clothes," Rhen said, dismissing herself. Hector nodded, though she couldn't see with her back turned, and sat against the cliff next to Lars.

"How are you feeling? And I'm not Rhen; don't lie so I won't worry," Hector spoke almost mockingly. Lars's eyes remained closed, but a frown marred his lips.

"I feel like shit," Lars replied bluntly. Hector sighed, expecting that response.

"We should have waited a while before leaving Sedona."

"No. You didn't see it, did you?" Lars inquired, opening his heavy lids a mere half an inch. Hector didn't bother with a verbal response, just looked at Lars questionably, "The sky. In the direction of Thais. I could see the edge of... blackness."

"Blackness?"

"It's like it's spreading. I get the feeling that black sky is a telltale sign of destruction," Lars explained, stopping as another yawn broke out, "It looks like we'll be here for a while. I'll keep an eye on it to see how fast it's moving."

The sound of twigs snapping announced Rhen's arrival. She set the clothes down on the ground, trying to spread them out, though she knew they wouldn't dry very fast without the sun's warmth.

Hearing a snore beside him, Hector sighed and stood.

"This guy is completely out. Are you alright with being alone?" Hector asked Rhen.

"Alone?"

"I told Swilly I'd be waiting around the theive's caves if she found anything. I can't stay here forever," Hector explained. Rhen hugged her arms.

"Yeah, I'm alright by myself. Just promise to come back and tell me any news. Don't go do something stupid," Rhen replied, smirking. Hector rolled his eyes.

"I could say the same thing to you," Hector remarked, unbuckling the belt from around his waist, "I'll leave these swords with you."

Rhen nodded as she watched Hector prop the swords and newly bought sheaths on the side of the cliff. Hector paused, eyebrows knitting together in thought before he looked at Rhen.

"... What?"

"Give me your hand," Hector suddenly ordered, walking to her with his palm faced forward. Rhen eyed him warily at the odd request.

"Why?"

"Just give me your hand for a minute," Hector replied, grabbing the girl's hand. He maneuvered so her palm was resting on his. Rhen nearly pulled it back when their palms started glowing a light pinkish purple.

"Will you tell me what you're doing?!" Rhen hissed in agitation. Hector ignored her, though, closing his eyes in deep concentration. Rhen stood there, perplexed, but didn't rip her hand away like she wanted to.

Finally, the light faded, and Hector twisted his hand so he could stare at it. The confused girl looked at her own palm, and, seeing nothing different, looked back at him.

"Thanks," Hector said, flashing her a smile and waving before turning to leave.

"Hey, wait! What did you do?"

"You'll see later!" Hector yelled over his shoulder. Knowing that was all she would get, Rhen crossed her arms and huffed.

Strange, strange boy.

She glanced at her hand again as she sat down. With a quick rush of magic, a fireball appeared in her hand.

'He didn't steal my magic... ugh, Hector, you annoying brat!'

Upon shaking the fireball out, she felt a slight sting in between her fingers. Examining them closely, she could see a small pen prick on the skin fold.

'Did he do that or was that there?'

She heard movement next to her, and watched as Lars turned in his sleep.

'… And of all places, why meet Swilly by the thieve's caves? Wouldn't that be dangerous?'

---

Swilly moved the leaf blocking her view. Her small body was currently hiding in a tree, eyes traveling over the terrain.

She hadn't been there but five minutes, yet she felt anxious to see Hector. Had Lars and Rhen survived that jump with minimal injuries or...?

She shook her head fervently, wiping those thoughts from her head. Of course they were ok!

The good news was that Dirkon did have a sword! And thanks to her amazing ninja abilities, she had obtained enough clues to narrow down the location.

Now if only she had someone to share this information with!

Movement.

Swilly quickly ducked behind the leaf until only her eyes could peak over. At the entrance to the thieve's cave, two people wrapped in brown cloaks stepped out, sharing a few words before darting out into the forest.

Swilly sighed and fidgeted with the leaf.

Hector had told Swilly of a plan. Granted, she didn't know the entire thing, since Hector had been adamant on finding where Lars and Rhen had disappeared to. She had heard something about thieves, though, and the thought made her anxiousness rise. Just what did he have planned?

Speaking of which...

Swilly smiled when she caught sight of Hector cautiously moving from tree to tree.

"Hector!" Swilly greeted, flying over to him.

"Good, you're here already," Hector responded, eyes darting about, "Did you find anything?"

"There is a sword in Dirkon. I don't know it's _exact _location, but I've narrowed it down. It was the best I could do."

"That's fine. Good. Lars and Rhen are alright," Hector informed. A weight lifted from Swilly's shoulders as she sighed in relief.

"So... what's your plan?" Swilly inquired. Hector held his hand up to be inspected.

It didn't seem any different at first. Upon a closer examination, though, Swilly saw that the pattern of his finger prints changed. There was another hand print on top of his own.

"I don't know if this will work, but it's worth a shot. The shield that surrounds the swords will only allow a Pendragon through, right? I tried to make a clone, or a copy, of Rhen's hand. I even took some of her blood," Hector explained, eyes following the lines on his hand, "I've never tried it like this, and my clone magic is less than par in itself so... this is a long-shot."

"... Hector, that's amazing!" Swilly exclaimed excitedly, zipping through the air around him.

"It'll be amazing if it _works_," Hector countered, turning in the direction of the thieve's caves. Swilly stopped zipping around his head and looked in the same direction.

"So... what do the thieves have to do with this?" Swilly asked.

"If Dirkon is that concerned with the Queen of Thais, they won't let just anyone waltz in and ask for one of the legendary swords. Therefore, I need a distraction... a big one," Hector spoke, hand slipping down to grasp his money pouch, "I just hope I have enough money to persuade them."

Swilly's eyes widened.

"But... isn't that all the money we have?" Swilly asked.

"Just about," Hector answered, not finding it a problem as he began walking to the cave entrance. Swilly hesitated a split second before flying after him.

---

Rhen was bored.

She'd been tossing small pebbles around for the past... well, she had no idea how much time had passed, but it seemed like a century.

Lars continued to snooze away next to her. Sleep sounded like such a nice idea, but she couldn't leave them without a guard. Hector still hadn't come back, which was making her more worried minute after minute.

Rhen sighed.

That's all she ever did when she was alone; worry. Worry and think; both very bad options.

She gazed up at the tree canopy. If she had to guess, the sun had probably already set. Darkness was slowly filling her vision and she felt a slight chill as wind whistled through the trees.

Hector had left her the swords, but where was their supplies? She knew there had been blankets in there...

She reached over and grabbed her swordswinger outfit, frowning when finding the cloth still damp. She knew it wouldn't dry without the sun's rays.

She curled up, bringing her knees against her chest. Having nothing better to do, she grabbed another pebble and hurtled it. With a quiet thunk, it hit a tree trunk and rolled to the forest floor.

Could she start a fire?

No, that would just alert others.

She sighed, agitated.

"Where's Hector?"

The voice was so sudden, Rhen jumped. Turning, she saw Lars was looking up at her from his position on the ground. She could hardly make out his face in the darkness.

"He's with Swilly... how are you feeling?" Rhen asked, shifting so she was facing him. Lars yawned, stretching his arms above his body.

"This ground isn't exactly a soft bed, but," Lars replied. Rhen rolled her eyes, reaching forward to place the back of her hand on his forehead.

"Seems normal," Rhen spoke retracting her hand. Lars sat up, awareness seeping back to his body as he rubbed his arms.

"When did it get chilly?" Lars muttered unhappily.

"The sun set not too long ago. The temperature has dropped."

"Where's my shirt and cloak?"

"Still damp."

"Of course," Lars said begrudgingly, shifting so his back pressed against the cliff, "How long has Hector been gone?"

"I'm not sure. He and Swilly were going to try to find the sword's location, but.." Rhen trailed off, frowning, "I actually have a bad feeling about this."

Lars was quiet for a moment.

".. Come with me," Lars spoke, standing up. Rhen raised a brow.

"We have to stay here to wait for Swilly and Hector.."

"This won't take that long. You should see this," Lars responded, walking toward the beach. Rhen got up, dusting herself off and jogging to catch up with him.

Having taken off her shoes earlier, the sand felt soft and already cool beneath her feet. Waves crashed against the shore, tides stronger than they had been earlier that day.

A faint blue glow illuminated everything around them, courtesy of the full moon hanging high in a sky filled with twinkling stars.

Rhen relished in the calmness of the scene.

"Look toward the horizon. Do you see how the stars suddenly disappear?" Lars inquired. Rhen did as she was told, immediately noticing what he was talking about. It was like the lights had been whipped out along the horizon.

"What-"

"It was dark earlier, too. I think Ahriman's... or whoever's power this is... is finally spreading," Lars informed. The calmness Rhen had felt was washed away with the tide.

"Has it been moving fast?!"

"I don't know. I first noticed it today. It doesn't look like it's moved much since then, though," Lars responded. Rhen's hands formed fists at her sides.

If only she knew how much time they had..!

Where the heck was Hector?! They needed to get a move on!

"Hey," Lars said, knocking on Rhen's head as if it were a door. Rhen turned to him with a glare, but it was only halfhearted. The frantic look in her eyes destroyed any murderous intent, "I didn't tell you this to scare you. This actually helps us. We'll know if we're about to walk into an area that's been effected, now."

That was true. It was true, but yet...

Rhen glanced down at her wedding ring as the memories flashed through her mind. How many people would be sacrificed before they could get there?

How many people would _Dameon_ hurt?

She traced the ring with her finger, willing herself not to cry again.

Suddenly, her wedding ring was snatched out of her sight as Lars's arms encircled her from behind.

Rhen blushed upon contact. What was this guy doing? And shirtless, none-the-less?!

"Lars, what are yo-"

"Warm," Lars muttered, leaning down to rest his head on her shoulder. Rhen wriggled uncertainly, but gave up when she deemed it useless.

She had to admit, it was very warm, but... but...!

Damn it, she was sure he could hear her heartbeat.

She cautiously watched as Lars's hands lifted to her face. His fingertips touched the corners of her eyes.

"Good. I stopped you from crying," Lars muttered. Rhen's eyes widened.

"You... did that to distract me?" Rhen asked almost disbelievingly, turning in his hold now that he didn't have a good grip on her. Lars raised an eyebrow.

"Er... well, I don't want you to cry!" Lars exclaimed, immediately thinking that was a little mushy, "It gets annoying after a while, you know."

It was a banter, like normal. He was trying to keep her distracted. That was one of the things she loved about Lars.

But...

She found herself angry. Her stomach was twisting in little, uncomfortable knots as the feeling of his arms around her lingered.

A sudden kiss... _forget it._

A sudden hug... _distraction._

Was he _trying_ to play with her feelings?!

It hurt.

She didn't even understand why she was this mad, but it hurt.

"Rhen?" Lars asked worriedly as emotions flew across the girl's face.

"Are you _trying_ to play with my feelings?" Rhen asked, repeating the question that hammered against her mind. Her eyes flared.

Lars looked shocked by the question, to say the least. Ok, so yeah, he got a little pissed when she started looking at her wedding ring like it held all the answers in the world. It stung to even see it on the girl's finger.

The hug was a brash, whimsical move on his part.

A distraction? Not for her tears... maybe to hide the ring from her view.

He was being selfish and he damn well knew it.

But he never thought it would lead to this! Playing with her feelings? That was about the last thing he'd have on his 'list of things to do in life!'

_But if you think about it, you can see where she's coming from, can't you?_

He hated when his inner conscience was right.

"I'm not.." Lars faltered, frantically thinking of where he could go with this without spilling his guts, "I'm sorry. It wasn't... I hugged you because I wanted to."

Lars nearly slapped himself in the face.

Rhen's eyebrow furrowed, watching Lars's cheeks and nose take on a pink hue. He looked so panicked she almost found it comical, despite the situation.

Letting the words sink in, she figured she was blushing at this point as well.

If he wasn't playing around... then...

She shook her head. That was dangerous territory.

"O... k... well then, I'm sorry," Rhen said awkwardly, looking at everything but him.

"Yeah. No problem," Lars answered, letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"We should probably get out of the opening, don't you think?" Rhen asked, slipping passed him and walking toward the woods.

Lars turned around and followed silently, conflicted amber orbs watching her back.

---

**And chapter 8 is finished! Wow, I worked near 6 hours on this today XD Such a slow writer..**

**AoiDragon: First of all, thanks so much for taking the time to review each of my chapters! I have noticed I make Lars do most of the battling.. lol He's always so warn out! Well, at least he's finally well rested and healthy by the end of this chapter!**

**Emerald-eclipse: I was really happy when I read you thought the conversation between the three flows well! I find myself struggling with their conversation sometimes.. I don't want it to be boring! And lol, aw, poor Hector, being forgotten.. but I don't blame you. If I wasn't specifically looking for information to put in my stories while I played, I probably wouldn't have remembered him either!**

**uniFsky: I love Lars's character so much. I have a weak spot for characters who act all tough but have a kind heart buried somewhere in there. And yes, subconscious mutterings for the win!**

**TC: Woooow, thank you so much! That review made my day.. and really, it was the thing that got me to spend 6 hours working on this chapter today! I did more than pout at the original ending.. I was so mad; you have no idea, lol. But, it's what caused me to write all these fanfics about the couple, so I guess it was a good thing!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Rush**  
KikoAyumi

**Pairing:** LarsxRhen DameonxRhen  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Offensive language, angst, and some mature situations. I will definitely warn beforehand.  
**Planned Length:** Long. I'm going for a novel with this one.  
**Updates:** Absolutely random. I don't have much time to sit and write any longer, so I can't promise anything.

**NOTES:** This takes place nearly two years after the end of Aveyond, when Rhen decided to become Queen and wed Dameon.

**Chapter 9**

**---**

"Why does it have to be so… dark and spooky down here?" Swilly asked, body tense as her eyes took in their surroundings with little enjoyment.

Hector's eyebrow rose.

"What did you expect from an underground refuge used by thieves? Pink cotton candy walls and cloud-covered floors?" Hector remarked sarcastically, keeping his voice low as he entered yet another archway. He was extremely displeased at the maze of tunnels, though couldn't help but feel impressed at the same time.

"Well… no… but," Swilly replied helplessly, a frown marring her features.

"Ugh!" Hector groaned when he reached the end of the cavern. A stone wall stood mockingly, telling him to try and find another way around without speaking a word.

"Hurry up and find the right way! I want out of this place!" Swilly wailed.

"I don't see you helping!" Hector rebutted, swiftly turning around and stomping back the way they'd come.

"I don't know where I'm going!"

"Oh, and I do?"

"Well wasn't this your plan?!"

"Yes, and it's a damn good plan!"

"We won't ever know if we stay lost, huh?"

"I'll could crush you."

"You wouldn't dare."

Swilly had just enough time to jump off his shoulder before a hand smacked down.

"Get back here you little…" Hector growled. Swilly squeaked and flew down the pathway, zipping into the closest archway. Her little wings promptly stopped their fluttering when she noticed the fire-lit room, filled with brown cloaks. She nearly squeaked again, but stopped herself. She hadn't been noticed yet, and didn't want to be noticed anytime soon!

Unfortunately…

"Swilly!" Hector's enraged voice bounced off the walls as he came flying in from under the archway. So focused on the fairy in the air, the poor boy didn't notice the several heads that suddenly swung his way, nor the few steps that lead down to the room.

"Hector, steps..!"

Her warning was too late, however. She hopelessly floated in the air as she watched Hector's eyes widen at the sudden lower ground. He toppled over, falling to the ground with a groan.

Swilly winced and flew down to hover over his face.

"Are you alright…?" Swilly asked tentatively. His brown eyes opened merely to send her a glare.

"Who the hell are you?"

Hector bristled at the new voice, finally discovering they weren't alone. He sat up, ignoring the pain in his hip upon doing so, and looked up from his position on the floor.

Three men loomed over them, only one visibly showcasing the sharp knife in his hand. They all wore brown cloaks, the hood hiding the upper half of their faces. But from Hector's lower perspective, he could see the cautious maroon eyes of the knife-wielder under the hood.

Hector slowly held his hands up to convey no ill intentions.

"I came here to make a deal," Hector proposed.

"You think we'd make a deal with an idiot like you who comes crashing in he-"

"How much money?" The one on the left prompted, cutting off the man holding the knife. Hector rose a brow at the sudden glaring match the two were having, but was all too happy to grasp onto the opening. He glanced down at the bag tied to his belt, knowing the third man on the right still had eyes on him.

"You can stand," that very man said in a gruff tone. The other two brought their attention back to Hector as he stood. Swilly once again perched herself on his shoulder, her hands grasping the material of his shirt. Just as the man knelt to grasp the belt, Hector took a step back, hands grabbing the money pouch.

The knife raised threateningly, and they stood there sizing each other up for a moment.

"… I won't hand the money over until you agree to my request," Hector spoke.

There was a huff of amusement from the man on the left, before he grabbed the front of his hood and whipped it back, revealing dark blue eyes, light blue hair, and a surprisingly young rounded face.

"You're smart," he complimented. Meanwhile, the one with the knife faltered and began sputtering.

"Thane! What the hell?! Why'd you reveal you're face, you moron?!" He shouted. The one now known as Thane just looked at him coolly.

"And you just revealed my name, Edge. Way to go," Thane replied dryly, openly amused at his companion's stuttering.

Hector and Swilly exchanged a glance.

Thane's smirk was suddenly trained on Hector.

"Maybe not as smart as I thought," Thane teased. Hector raised a brow, confused, until he heard the jingle of coins. Whipping his head around, he saw the still-nameless man holding his sack of coins!

Just to double check, Hector looked down, and sure enough, the bag was gone.

How…?

He focused on Thane's smirk again.

'That bastard! Revealing his face, knowing Edge would react like that… he created a diversion!' Hector cursed inside his mind.

"… oh," Edge spoke, taking in a situation. Like a switch had been flicked, the man was suddenly in control again, holding up the knife, "Now get out of here before I dice the little fairy."

Swilly turned a pasty shade of white at the threat and turned to stare at Hector's face worriedly.

"… I'm guessing you know about the situation in Thais?" Hector asked, inwardly cringing. He was trying to avoid bringing Rhen into this, but he was left with no choice.

The smirk left Thane's face.

"What of it?" Thane asked, eyes keenly aware. Hector figured Thane thought this was a distraction much like the previous stunt.

"You'll help me if you don't want the darkness to take over everything. I'm currently questing with the Queen of Thais herself and we need something Dirkon has. That's where you guys come in," Hector explained.

"You're telling me that something Dirkon has can help save the world?" Edge asked, every word dripping with sarcasm.

"Go on," Thane spoke, crossing his arms.

"I can't divulge too much information, but in order to obtain this item from Dirkon, I'll need a huge diversion. I need you guys to sneak in and cause a panic for me," Hector ventured, not liking the unwavering stoic expression on Thane's face, "… I can introduce you to the Queen of Thais if you doubt my word."

"What a bunch of bull!" Edge shouted.

"… say that I did believe you," Thane responded, tapping his fingers on his arm, "Say I would make a deal. Did you forget that you no longer have anything to barter with?"

For the first time, Hector noticed that No-Name had disappeared from Edge's side, blending into the room of brown cloaks, taking the money with him.

"Che!" Hector scowled, hating thieves and their swift movements, "… alright then. Sorry if this is blunt, but we're all going to die if Ahr-- this darkness takes over, right? I guess we have the chance to become a mindless piece of destruction… but anyway. Think about this for a minute. Thane and Edge… heros! Helped saved the world from obliteration! And to think of the amount of money you'd get from Thais! From the Queen herself! You'd be rich beyond imaginable!"

It was a long-shot, Hector knew. But Hector also knew that these were thieves he was dealing with, and money was a very powerful tool in this situation.

If the greed in their eyes was any indication, anyway.

"… you said you'd let us meet the Queen to see if you're telling the truth, correct?" Thane asked after a moment's thought. Hector was expecting Edge to bust a comment in, but was pleasantly surprised when he kept his mouth shut.

'Wow. These bastards really are greedy.'

"Yes. But we need to hurry. It'll be easier to do this while it's still dark," Hector reasoned. Thane reached behind his head and brought the hood over his face once more.

"Edge, go get the bombers," Thane instructed, "And I know what the Queen looks like, so if this is a ruse, I hope you know you're dead."

"Bombers?!" Swilly whispered insistently, "We don't want to blow the city up!"

"They know what they're doing," Hector whispered back. Swilly bit her bottom lip, wanting to ask how he could possibly be so sure, but Thane's gaze was on her, rendering her incapable of speaking.

"So. Where is this so called Queen of Thais?" Thane inquired.

"Just around the cliffs. She's in hiding after being discovered in Dirkon earlier today."

"You left her alone?"

"Another one of my friends is with her."

"One moment," Thane said before dismissing himself. Hector let out a deep breath of air, visibly relaxing.

"Well, that didn't go as smoothly as planned, but at least it worked," Hector spoke.

"I think you're crazy. _They're_ crazy! What do they plan to do with bombs?! And why are we bringing them to Rhen?! What if they're planning an ambush? What if they think along the same lines as the people of Dirkon do? What if they are going to go to Dirkon and tell them she's still alive?!" Swilly exclaimed, zipping around his head in a frenzy.

"… thanks for planting those seeds in my head," Hector nearly growled. How dare she fill his head with doubts when he finally got somewhere!

Thane came back, this time with a group of men following him.

"Lead the way," Thane ordered.

"You're the only one who needs to come with me to see Rhen," Hector replied, Swilly's cautions about a possible ambush swimming around in his head, "You just need to confirm she's the Queen, right? There's no need for all of you to go."

Thane stared at him for a moment before nodding.

"Fine. But Edge comes too," Thane demanded, narrowing his eyes at the signs of protest on Hector's face, "I have the same concerns as you do."

The retort that nearly left his lips died as Hector understood the situation. Thane was just as concerned he would be ambushed if he went alone.

"Right. Let's go."

---

"Are they _still_ not dry?"

"Don't you think I'd be wearing a little more if they were?" Rhen huffed, curling into herself. Goosebumps had invaded her arms, and she continually looked up toward the canopy, hoping the sun would miraculously appear.

No such luck.

Rhen sighed, turning to observe Lars. He was curled up much like her, his lips forming a scowl.

There really hadn't been much conversation since they'd come back from the beach. Rhen was almost sure she'd even nodded off once or twice, but with her mind in such a blur, who knew?

Her eyes settled on his shoulder, and she bit her lip.

It _was_ cold…

She shook her head, whipping her head to stare at the ground. From the corner of her eye, she saw Lars glance at her, probably wondering what the sudden movement was about. She forced down the blush that threatened to take over her face, silently thanking the dark for at least offering something useful.

She didn't let out a breath until he was no longer looking at her. With an inward groan, she buried her face in her knees.

It was simple. Just huddle together and become warmer!

But the little incident from earlier left her too afraid to ask of such a thing. And maybe she was a little afraid because she liked it too…

After getting passed the general shock and confusion that both his… kiss… wow, she could finally admit it to herself… and hug had brought, she was able to think more rationally. She knew her earlier words rang false. Lars would never play around with her feelings, or anyone else's for that matter, for the fun of it. Not anymore.

Then that left only one option.

He was looking at her as a woman.

He liked her? Was it just… well… lust?

Her face flamed.

She disregarded that mindset for the moment, moving onto an even bigger question.

How did she feel about this?

Lars was an incredible person. Any less of a man would have never been able to change his perspective on life so quickly. She knew she could count on him for anything; had no doubt in her mind he would continue to teach and become something great. As if he wasn't something great already.

She felt safe around him. The immense relief upon finding herself outside Veldarah instead of any other city spoke for itself, not to mention the crazy recklessness of jumping off a cliff!

So… so what?

She had just as much of an incredible man waiting for her. A husband.

'I just… miss Dameon. I want comfort. That's… that's the only reason I'm letting Lars get to me. I love Dameon. Lars is just… a friend.'

Friend.

Yep.

Lars was a good friend.

Nothing more, nothing less.

… why the heck was this so difficult for her mind to grasp?!

Her body suffered an involuntary shiver, and she lifted her head, once again training her eyes on her mind's subject.

Lars's eyes were closed. She nearly claimed him asleep, but was proved wrong when he shifted.

What the hell.

She was cold; he was cold.

That's all there was to it.

… yeah.

With that thought swimming around her mind, and her heartbeat speeding up without warning, she uncurled her body, cursing the cold air. Placing her hands on the ground, she lifted her body, scooting until she was a mere foot away from Lars.

There was one brief moment when her body sat still and as straight as an ironing board, before she tipped herself and rested her head and shoulder upon Lars's.

She could feel his body tense on contact, and was suddenly glad she wasn't able to see his face. Fiddling with her fingers was all she could focus on as she waited for some sort of reaction.

She really didn't know what to expect, but what she got was his arm lifting. Her body slid easily beneath the arm, coming to rest on his chest. His arm came back down, securing her against him.

There was no instant warmth like she'd thought. His skin was cold to the touch… well of course, he'd been sitting out here without a shirt!

What she found interesting, though, was the soft sound of his heartbeat against her ear. She smiled, feeling her eyelids grow heavy.

This beat curling up to the side of a cliff any day.

"Rhen!"

Said girl tensed at the sudden harsh voice, feeling his chest rumble at the word. She rocketed backward, staring up at him in panic.

Was he mad at her?

"Warmth! I only did that to get warm!" She insisted, eyes wide.

… wow, that didn't sound suspicious at all.

Lars stared back at her, appearing confused at the defensive reaction.

But then she heard it.

Both heads swiveled, eyes cautiously looking out between the tree trunks.

Someone was coming.

Lars sprang up, trying to shake out his muscles. Maybe sitting in one place for so long wasn't such a good idea. Regardless, he reached for one of the legendary swords, not comfortable with relying on his still-recovering magic unless needed.

As soon as two figures could be seen, Lars unsheathed his sword in warning.

"Whoa, whoa, put it down, buddy!"

"Hector!" Rhen recognized immediately. She was relieved and happy to see him.

"Rhen!" Swilly exclaimed, rushing over as fast as her wings could take her, "Oh my gosh, I'm so happy to see you're ok!"

Swilly promptly hugged Rhen's cheek, making the girl giggle.

Hector and Thane made their way over, Hector smirking when he got close enough to see the color of the sword Lars had pulled out.

"The pink sword suits you," Hector mocked, turning the insult on Lars. Lars frowned, sheathing the sword.

Rhen was actually glad Lars had decided to jump up and grab the sword, no matter what color it was. If Hector had seen them in that position… oh the horror!

She was thrown out of her relieved thoughts when the stranger Hector had brought with him suddenly approached her. He stopped in front of her, leaning in.

"Eh…" Rhen managed, feeling uncomfortable with the intense scrutiny.

"Who the hell is this?" Lars asked Hector, bristling at the man being so close to Rhen.

"Ok, let's do this," Thane said, turning on his heel and walking back the way they'd come. Rhen raised a brow as Hector smirked and pumped a hand in the air.

"Time for me to get the sword Dirkon's hiding!" Hector exclaimed.

"… going to tell me the plan first?" Rhen asked.

"Who IS that guy?!" Lars asked again, but was ignored as Hector turned to Rhen.

"Nope! Just uh… know that when this is all over, you're gonna owe that guy some money, kay?" Hector asked, not even waiting for an answer before turning to hurry after Thane.

"Wait… Hector… how are you going to get the sword without me?" Rhen inquired, feeling winded by the rushed events, "And by the way, what did you do with our supply bag?"

"Eh? I set it down somewhere over there," Hector answered, pointing in that general direction, "And don't worry. Leave this one to me. Come on, Swilly!"

Hector held up his hand, showcasing the tool that would, hopefully, turn this mission into a victory.

Lars and Rhen stared after him, quite dumbfounded.

"… he never answered me," Lars growled. Rhen smiled apologetically before heading in the direction Hector had pointed. Sure enough, the supply bag was resting against a tree… on the opposite side of their view.

'We had blankets here all along!' Rhen thought, annoyed as she dug through the bag and pulled out two blankets.

"Here," Rhen said, tossing Lars a blue blanket. He caught it with mild surprise and watched the girl settle in her previous position against the cliff, this time with a gold blanket wrapped around her front. Whilst trying to wrack her brain for ways Hector could possibly be able to obtain the sword, she didn't notice Lars until he stood beside her.

Lars leaned down, sitting next to her and draping his blanket around them both. Rhen watched his every move with wide eyes.

Th- they had blankets now…!

"Warmth!" Lars spoke dramatically, imitating her previous excuse, "I'm only doing this to get warm!"

Rhen immediately hid her burning face in his chest, embarrassed beyond belief. The vibrations of Lars's laughter hit the side of her face, and despite the discomfited circumstances, she smiled.

---

**And finally, another update! I was going to focus this chapter on Hector and Dirkon... well, that'll just have to wait 'till next chapter because I wanted to throw some Rhen/Lars fluff in there! I personally love how this chapter came out. ..And I've noticed I seem to get skimpier and skimpier with the words in each chapter.. cough. I'll do better, I promise!**

I start college on August 16th, so wish me luck! Thanks for reading and please leave a review!


	10. Chapter 10

**Rush**  
KikoAyumi

**Pairing:** LarsxRhen DameonxRhen  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Offensive language, angst, and some mature situations. I will definitely warn beforehand.  
**Planned Length:** Long. I'm going for a novel with this one.  
**Updates:** Absolutely random. I don't have much time to sit and write any longer, so I can't promise anything.

**NOTES:** This takes place nearly two years after the end of Aveyond, when Rhen decided to become Queen and wed Dameon.

**Chapter 10**

**---  
**

Swilly breathed a sigh of relief, even though her muscles were tense as she and Hector zipped through the shadows of a near-empty part of town.

"I'm proud of you! Telling those thieves not to resort to those bombs!" Swilly whispered, peaking around a corner to see if the coast was clear.

"Yeah, well, I needed a distraction, not a potential hazard," Hector responded, running toward the next building when no one was in sight.

Even without the explosions Thane had originally planned, the thieves were apparently holding up their end of the bargain. Hector had heard quite a bit of commotion before slipping his way to the west side of Dirkon, and whatever those thieves did, it had effectively cleared out the streets.

"Stop!" Swilly warned suddenly. Hector heeded the warning and plastered himself against a wall. Voices softly echoed amongst the tightly packed buildings, and he slowly peaked around the corner to assess the situation.

A man and woman were standing in front of the next building over, investing in small talk. Even through the darkness, Hector could see the emblem of Dirkon on the man's clothing, and inwardly marked him off as a guard.

"That's the building we need to get into," Swilly informed. Hector almost smacked his forehead.

The only building around that actually had people in front of it _would_ be the building they needed. Of course.

"It's a storage building that has no windows... there's no other way to get in than the front door," Swilly cautioned, sitting on Hector's shoulder and awaiting his plan.

Hector softly bit on his bottom lip as the gears in his mind turned round and round. Stepping just a tad more towards the corner, he strained his ears to try to catch some of the conversation.

"Sure... stay..."

Ugh, the guy's voice was too deep to distinguish much.

"... get the furniture.. 'morrow... night..."

Hector grinned.

Bingo.

"It's clone time," Hector whispered, eyes following the woman's every move as she bid goodbye to the guard and began walking away.

"Clone time?" Swilly inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Hector answered, changing his path and following the woman, eyes memorizing her figure, "If I could just see what her body looks like under that cloak..."

Swilly's eyes widened and her lip curled back in disgust.

"Just what are you thinking at a time like this, you pervert?!" Swilly hissed in his ear. Hector scowled.

"Not like _that_! I need to know physical attributes to make a clone!" Hector retorted in his defense, and Swilly chose to simply keep narrowed eyes boring into his skull until the boy sighed and stopped his stalking, "Guess that'll have to do. Don't have time to follow her all night."

Swilly felt the muscles beneath her become still as Hector focused his energy, barely breathing out words she couldn't quite make out. Within seconds, a clone appeared in front of them, causing Swilly's eyebrows to raise high on her head.

"Hey, not bad at all! It looks just like her!" Swilly exclaimed excitedly, observing the young woman. Hector's eyebrow twitched, obviously displeased despite the praise.

"It'll work as long as she has that cloak on," Hector said, stepping closer and eying the clone for imperfections. Swilly's eyebrows furrowed before she flew over to the clone, grabbing the edge of the cloak and pulling it aside.

"... eeeewwww," Swilly reasoned, dropping the cloak back in its place. The so-called body was disfigured and incomplete.

"Shut up," Hector warned, finally finished with his scrutiny, "Now, I'm going to need you to stay here with my body, ok?"

Swilly blinked.

And blinked again.

"Excuse me?" She asked oh-so-intelligently.

Hector rolled his eyes.

"Well the clone is pretty damn useless if it just stands there. I'm going to transfer my life source to the clone. This lady mentioned something about coming back tomorrow to pick up furniture for something-or-another. I'll just run back and say I'd like to take a few things now. Hopefully he'll let me in; they seemed to be on good terms," Hector explained.

"..." Swilly stared at him, looked at the clone, then looked back at him, "... so... you're gonna turn into a girl with the body of a zombie?"

Hector nearly growled at the suddenly cackling fairy.

"Have any better ideas?!" Hector hissed.

"Use my.. haha, sleeping powder.. hehe," Swilly managed.

"Oh yeah. It'll look great if someone comes around here and sees a guard passed out on the ground. That won't look suspicious at all," Hector drawled.

"Well ok then, no arguments here. I'm actually looking forward to this now!" Swilly spoke with a little too much glee, in Hector's opinion.

"I'm serious about you staying with my body, Swilly. Just because my soul is attached to another form doesn't mean I'm not going to feel the effects of whatever happens to my body when my soul returns," Hector warned, causing the fairy's grin to dim somewhat.

"Got 'cha," Swilly confirmed, nodding her head for good measure. Hector eyed her before seemingly satisfied, and once again began focusing his mana. Swilly watched curiously as a faint blue glow surrounded him. The glowing essence quite suddenly slithered along the ground like a snake until it found the clone.

Hector frowned while in his chant, worrying Swilly. He had always been calm and collected when creating clones. If this was hurting him...

"Hector, have you ever tried this before?" Swilly asked. A small 'eep!' escaped her throat when his eyes suddenly opened to glare at her, nearly screaming "Don't break my concentration!"

Swilly swung her arms around her back, absentmindedly fiddling with her fingers as she waited for the final result. In an instant, the blue glow dissipated, and Hector's body slumped to the ground. Swilly almost panicked before she noticed the first signs of movement from the clone.

"Ugh, that takes a lot of mana," the girl complained, frowning after hearing his voice came out in a higher, girlie octave. Swilly stared, looking conflicted at what to say, until a smile finally broke through.

"Aaaw, you make such a cute zombie-girl!" Swilly taunted, rightfully flying up out of reach when arms flew up to squeeze the life out of her. This only served to make her laugh harder, however, when the left hand revealed only two fingers. His right hand, however, was perfectly made, and still carrying Rhen's print.

"This is why I needed to see her body!" Hector fumed, quickly hiding the imperfections underneath the cloak, "But it'll do. Now it's time for action."

Despite the apprehensiveness settling in her chest, Swilly had to hide her smile with her hand as she watched Hector walk toward his goal.

'Hector.. hm.. that's certainly not a girl's name. Hectorella! Haha!'

Because Hector could not read minds, the new nickname thankfully did not reach him.

Instead, his entire focus was on the guard, who had by now noticed his approach and was smirking.

"Changed your mind, sweetie?" The man asked, looking a little too delighted to see the 'girl.' Hector inwardly cringed at the strange look, but tred on.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Can I grab a few things right now?" Hector asked, a small smile on his lips to be convincing. He only hoped he hadn't asked something stupid.. the furniture stored could have only been big things like couches and chairs, and asking to take a few things of that size would seem like a stupid question.

Luck appeared to be on his side, though, for the man's smile grew (Hector didn't even think it was possible) and stepped aside, gesturing to the door.

"After you," he spoke. Hector steeled himself for a moment, eyebrow raising in question. After you? Didn't that usually entail the person who spoke that would be following?

This was not what he wanted.

Time to play 'Independant Woman!'

"Oh, no need to help me. I'll be right back out," Hector responded, waving his good hand in the air as if it wasn't a big deal. He slowly stepped toward the entrance, itching to get inside but cautious as to whether or not he would be followed. He didn't think a sword would quite qualify as a piece of furniture.

A chuckle sounded right next to his ear, making him stiffen.

'Too close, too close!' Hector's mind screamed, making his feet move faster and finally move his body inside the building. It looked just like a storage room; junk upon junk piled on top of each other, lit only by a dim light fixture on the right wall. 'How am I going to find it in this mess?'

"I love when you get into character," the man behind him announced his presence, followed by the sound of the door shutting, "You gonna do a lap dance for me like last time?"

Hector's hair stood on the back of his neck as he slowly turned around in confused horror.

He immediately regretted the action upon seeing the guard untucking his shirt.

'Oh... my.. God.. I've turned into a female zombie WHORE!'

He felt like crying, he really did. This was revolting.

"What, shy all of the sudden? Or do you have a surprise for me underneath that robe?" The man teased, walking over his disgarded shirt to walk closer to Hector, undoubtedly reaching for his clothing.

'Oh, there's a surprise alright, but I don't think it's what you're thinking of!' Hector's mind screamed, upper lip curling up in disgust, 'Gotta think fast... gotta think! I have no chance fighting him off with this pathetic excuse of a body!'

So he did what any good female-zombie-whore-but-not-really would do.

He ran.

'Sword.. sword.. sword..' became his mind's mantra. He faintly heard something about him playing hard to get, but very easily threw that out of his head. There wasn't much room to run, though, and he knew he'd have to come up with something soon.

He nearly screamed like a girl... just 'cause, you know, he currently WAS a girl, not any other reason... when the guard suddenly appeared in front of him from behind a bunch of boxes!

"Got'cha!" He exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Hector and pulling him close. Both 'men' tensed upon the contact, but for entirely different reasons.

'It's... lumpy... what the hell?' - at the feel of his woman's body.

'.. I'm gonna throw up, I'm gonna throw up, I'm gonna throw up' - because he was being held against a man's naked chest.

Amongst the throwing up part, Hector was rational enough to notice a turquoise lamp sitting on one of the boxes within his reach. With a sharp jolt, he undid the revolting hold, and made a grab for the lamp. The poor guard was too confused to even understand what was going on, and without a second thought, Hector smashed the lamp's base across his face.

The guard yelled loudly, shards of the turqoise alloy slicing into his skin.

---

Swilly fidgeted as she watched the empty street from behind a corner.

That guy had followed Hector into the building! That wasn't part of the plan, was it?

Should she act? But what if Hector had it all under control and she showed up and ruined his plan? But what if he was in trouble? The only exit was the front...

"Grr... you and your stupid plans!" Swilly yelled at Hector's lifeless body.

"Is someone there?"

Swilly almost forgot how to fly. Regaining control, she quickly flew to the roof, hiding in the shadows with wide eyes. Two new guards, both bearing the same symbol as the other, rounded the corner. Their eyes fell on the slumped over Hector, halting their movements.

'Nooo! Hector, where are you?!' Swilly thought frantically as one of the guards drew his sword, holding it out in front of himself cautiously as he approached Hector.

"Hey! Are you dead?" The guard egged on.

The closer the blade got to Hector, the more Swilly's eyes widened, Hector's earlier words haunting her. She couldn't let anything happen to his body!

Just as she was about to cast a spell for sleeping powder, a faint crash and a louder cry was heard. Both guards jumped at the sudden noise, attention taken off of Hector's form.

Swilly wanted to pull her hair out. She didn't have one, but TWO Hectors to worry about at the moment!

"Check it out," the guard with the drawn sword said, swinging his head to the storage room building. With a nod, the guy was running to the storage.

In a mad dash, Swilly flew to the door at the speed of light. She ignored the fact the guard had seen her fly passed him with a surprised look on his face and zipped inside the door.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you crazy lady?!" The guard inside exclaimed in rage, the left side of his face burning and bleeding. Hector made a move to dash away, but his arm was caught before he could, the force dragging his sleeve up his left arm. The disfigured hand displayed its two fingers proudly, enraging the guard further, "Who are you, you wretched little..!"

"Hector! Go back to your body NOW!" Swilly suddenly interrupted, flying over the guard's head. Sleeping powder rained down, and the grip on Hector's arm loosened until the guard slumped to the ground, snoring loudly. Hector's heart calmed itself if only for a little bit, before he shut his eyes and concentrated his mana. There was no need for questioning; Swilly wouldn't demand such a thing unless it needed to be done.

During his concentration, Swilly noticed the guard who she'd zipped passed staring at them with wide eyes before making a dash for the door.

"Get back here!" Swilly exclaimed, chasing after him.

"Danzo! Danzo, get back up, quick!" She heard him yell, probably to the man still with Hector's body. This would at least assure the real Hector would not be harmed, but if they got reinforcements...!

With another blast of sleeping powder, the second guard was down, smashing his nose against the ground harshly when he fell. Swilly raced around the corner, heart plummetting when Danzo appeared to be no where in sight.

Hector's body stirred then, eyes slowly opening and then focusing. He jolted upwards, ready to attack anything that appeared.

"He's going to get reinforcements! Did you find the sword?!" Swilly asked.

"I didn't have the time," Hector growled, maneuvering to stand up. He staggered backward, shoulder coming in contact with the brick wall painfully, "Damn it..."

"Are you ok?" Swilly asked worriedly as he sagged against the wall, breathing harshly.

"That takes so much mana," Hector explained, taking in a deep breath and trying to steady himself again.

"We have to move quick-"

"You think I don't know that?!" Hector snapped, trudging toward the storage room, supporting himself on the wall. Every muscle in his body felt like it was being torn with every step.

'But I can't stop now...' he thought, looking at his right hand, 'I'm the only one who can get that sword!'

"Hn. Worthless," the two jumped upon hearing a new voice, "You were so worried about me keeping my end of the bargain and here you are looking like you're gonna collapse."

Thane came up from behind them, a taunting smirk settling on his lips.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Hector bit back, not liking the fact this man was seeing him in such a weak state.

"Helping you, apparently," Thane answered, walking over to him and throwing Hector's arm over his shoulder. Thane was a bit shorter than Hector, making it a near perfect arm rest, "I killed the guard running away from here, so you can relax a bit. No one is going to be coming immediately."

"Really?!" Swilly couldn't help but ask, a smile lighting her features. This was really going to work!

"Hmph," Hector replied, not looking at either of them as he limped his way over to the storage room. To him, there was no use in getting excited until the sword was in their grasp and they were out of harm's way.

The three entered the storage room, this time having enough time to decently look at the place. Everything from old-fashioned furniture, gowns, armor, to toys was stacked in and amongst boxes and bags. Swilly flew high to get a better view.

"Definitely not a place I would suspect would hold a legendary sword," Thane remarked. Hector simply leaned more weight on the smaller boy, making him cringe, "What the hell did you do to yourself?"

"None of your business. I'm just tired," Hector drawled, eyes half shut.

"Well I would appreciate my own private space," Thane remarked, getting an immediate glare in return.

"You don't even _dare_ talk to me about private space," Hector growled, shivering in disgust. Thane raised a brow in question.

"Found it!" Swilly exclaimed excitedly. The two men made their way over to where she was sitting on the flap of a box, looking down at some sheets she had moved over. The sword's blade shone in the dim light.

"Ok then," Hector spoke with determination, shrugging off Thane's hold and staring at his right hand, "Let's hope this works."

"Hope?" Thane asked.

"Only a member of the Pendragon family is supposed to be able to collect the swords because they are protected by a barrier. Hector copied Rhen's hand print and stole some of her blood.." Swilly trailed off, watching intensely as Hector's hand neared the hilt of the sword.

He was able to grasp it without being shocked.

A triumphant grin rose on his face as he lifted the red-hilt sword.

"Mission accomplished," were Hector's last words before he promptly passed out.

----

**Aaaaaaaaand, chapter 10! After forever! Sigh. **

**It feels good to get this chapter out, it really does. I miss Aveyond. **

**Poor Hector.. XD**


	11. Chapter 11

**Rush**  
KikoAyumi

**Pairing:** LarsxRhen DameonxRhen  
**Rating**: T  
**Warnings:** Offensive language, angst, and some mature situations. I will definitely warn beforehand.  
**Planned Length:** Long. I'm going for a novel with this one.  
**Updates:** Absolutely random. I don't have much time to sit and write any longer, so I can't promise anything.

**NOTES:** This takes place nearly two years after the end of Aveyond, when Rhen decided to become Queen and wed Dameon.

**Chapter 11**

-

With his feet nearly dragging the ground with every step, Thane begrudgingly made his way through the forest. His eyes were trained on Swilly, narrowed into slits as he regarded her carefree flying.

Thane was not a big man, though he hated to admit it. Hector had to be at least four feet taller than he and owned more muscle... so hefting the unconscious man onto his back and dragging him through the forest was definitely not something he'd volunteer to do every day. In fact, he was more than tempted to just drop the man and leave them to fend for themselves.

Hector made some kind of snort-gurgle sound in his sleep, his mouth falling open. Thane cringed, warily eying the head leaning over his shoulder.

'If you _dare_ drool on me...'

"Thank you so much for this!" Swilly suddenly exclaimed, having been aware of Thane's annoyance for quite sometime, "I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Yeah, yeah. How far?" Thane sighed.

"We're almost there! I would help if I could..." Swilly appeased. Thane bit his lip to keep himself from snapping a smart remark.

Swilly laughed nervously, her wings batting a little faster to create some distance between them. She really was incredibly grateful, but the thief was basically emitting waves of murder into the air. Relief flooded her when she rounded a corner and caught a glimpse of her other two companions.

"They're here!" She yelled back to Thane. With those encouraging words, Thane used a new-found burst of energy to quicken his steps despite the back-breaking pressure.

Swilly abruptly stopped when she noticed the lack of response and/or movement. Lars and Rhen were cuddled together beneath blankets, backs against the cliff as they used each other as pillows. Steady breathing entered and exited their noses and mouths, suggesting sleep.

"Aw! Hector is gonna be upset he missed this," Swilly remarked, before a frown marred her mouth, "But what do they think they're doing?! They left themselves vulnerable!"

Thane only half listened to Swilly talk, more focused on saving his poor spine from further damage by letting Hector slid to the ground, hoisting his body up against a tree. Standing up straight was sweet torture.

"You get some sleep," Thane suggested, rubbing his back. Swilly turned back toward him with a raised eyebrow.

"Hello? Were you not just listening to me get mad that they left themselves without a guard? How can I go to sleep when they're all asleep?"

"I'll stay and keep watch."

Swilly was dumbfounded, to say the least. That was awfully considerate of him...

… wait a minute.

"... you want me to go to sleep so you can take off with all our goods, don't you?" Swilly inquired suspiciously. Thane smirked.

"Darn. Caught," Thane responded, snapping his fingers. Swilly huffed.

With his plan spoiled, Thane made his way over to the sleeping pair, rounding to the queen's side. Not feeling like bending down again any time soon, he lifted his foot to gently shake Rhen's arm. It took two pushes before she moved, unfocused eyes slowly opening.

"If I were an enemy, you'd be dead," Thane remarked dryly. Rhen, startled, whipped her head up to look at him.

"You... you're that guy," Rhen spoke dumbly. Upon inspection of her surroundings, she noticed Hector and Swilly. Lastly, she noticed her comfortable position against Lars. A blush crossed her cheeks.

"We got the sword!" Swilly assured, voice lowered and glancing at Lars. Rhen nodded, cautiously removing herself from her position. With some twisting and rearranging of the blankets, she was able to get herself free without waking the slumbering Lars.

"Is Hector alright?" Rhen asked, stretching out.

"He passed out," Thane explained, making her eyes widen in alarm, "It's just too much mana use."

"'Just', he says," Rhen muttered, grabbing the last blanket before walking over to Hector. With a flutter, the blanket covered his body. Rhen did glance at the new sword that adorned his belt before it was covered, though, and curiously frowned.

She was definitely going to have to get this story out of him when he woke up.

"We might need to get him some elixir in the next town," Rhen suggested.

"Uh, yeah... Hector kind of lost all our money," Swilly spoke cautiously. Rhen went stiff for a moment.

As if sensing the impending doom, Thane snatched her arms before she could get her hands around Hector's neck.

"Really, don't attack people while they're unconscious," Thane said, amusement dancing in his eyes as the girl struggled in his hold.

"That idiot," Rhen seethed, glancing back at the man who held her, "I'm guessing you have all our money?"

"Actually, a friend of mine does," Thane replied, letting her go when the malicious intent wore off, "Anyway, I'm taking off. If your friend here can move by dusk, I would suggest getting out of here."

"... then thank you. For everything. I never did get your name," Rhen said, leaving the question hanging in the air.

"Thane Kurotsuki," he replied, leaning close, "Better remember it. I'll be expecting future rewards."

'So arrogant!' Rhen thought as she watched him walk away. She couldn't help the flutter deep in her stomach, though. It was silly, but having a distinct something to get done when all this was over helped strengthen her resolve.

'Though giving money to those greedy little bastards isn't exactly something to look forward to.'

Chuckling at her own thoughts, she was surprised to find Swilly curled up on the end of Hector's blanket, quickly running off to dreamworld. Her stomach rumbled, sending a quick reminder that they hadn't eaten anything in quite some time.

She made her way over to the supply bags, digging around. Hector had bought more sheaths like he said he would... but it would figure the guy didn't even think about stocking up on food and then ended up giving away all their money. The best she could find was a jar of jerky. With a huff, she grabbed a piece and gnawed on it.

This really put them at a disadvantage. How were they going to get money? It's not like they had the time to get jobs. There were always people in need of help around the house, but there was that time problem again.

Rhen swallowed, taking the stick of beef from her mouth and staring in the direction of the beach. Her mind envisioned the starlit sky, along with where all those stars disappeared amongst the horizon. She was almost scared to go and check on that blackness again, to see if it had made any drastic movements.

No. She would wait until morning to check, or at least until they could all see it together.

She tiptoed back over to Lars, deciding to sit cross-legged on her blanket rather than get bundled up again. Sure, the air still held a chill, but it was tolerable.

Sticking the jerky back in her mouth, she glanced over at their clothing. Though she had just settled, she felt compelled to check on them. Standing back up, she made her way over, hands first coming in contact with Lars's long jacket. As expected, the thick cloth was still damp.

To her delight, the other clothing seemed dry, though cold. She put everything back on, folding up Lars's shirt and bringing it back to the blanket with her. Chewing the last of her beef jerky, she swallowed, knowing it would hardly satisfy her hungry stomach.

Hands fiddling with the edge of his shirt, Rhen contemplated, staring at Lars's sleeping face.

Upon remembering what position they were found in, the blush crept back up to her face.

'So... I like Lars...' She tested the sentence in her head.

If steam could shoot out of her ears, it would be going full-blast. In a frenzy, she buried her burning face into the cloth in her hands. Upon realizing she was clutching his shirt to her face and breathing in his scent, she hastily put it back down.

'Then... what if things would have been different? What if I would have never taken my role as queen? If I had gone back to Shadwood with Lars?'

Now that was quite a thought. The very first thing that came to her mind, of course, was that she'd be living in a city that promoted slavery. There was no way she would be able to stand seeing that. Then again, she had always told Lars she would find a way to abolish slavery one day. Maybe if she lived there, she could work on making that dream a reality?

She smiled, very happy with the idea.

She wouldn't have to worry about appearances or fulfilling duties that could affect an entire nation. No more ballgowns... oh that was quite an incredible thought... and no balls. Traveling without guards following your every movement was refreshing as well.

Having Lars around twenty-four seven... Rhen's brow furrowed. At one time – and actually not that long ago – she wouldn't have liked the idea. He had her respect, but could still grate on her nerves. The bantering now still existed, but it was... dare she say _fun. _

The thought of never seeing Lars again after this journey stung a little more than it should have. Dameon and Lars never got along... she knew that. And by the last conversation dealing with this subject, she also had a very good idea why that was.

Rhen sighed in frustration, her hand slipping into her hair. She frowned when she felt the matted mess and reached behind her to slip off the hair tie. Combing her hair through her fingers, she unraveled the braid. The lavender locks fell on her shoulders, stiff from the braid and salt water combination.

The thing that was currently weighing on her mind was exactly how long Lars had felt this way about her. Dameon and she had been married for two years and Lars said he didn't want to come to Thais because of Dameon... so that could only mean that he had developed feelings on their first journey together.

It was truly hard to believe, and now she felt stupid for not realizing anything sooner.

But then again, how the heck was she supposed to know? The first couple years of their life together were filled with hatred and animosity toward one another! Fate was a tricky one indeed.

Rhen shifted, bringing both legs to one side. She pulled her hand away from the cloth and stared at her wedding ring.

She did love Dameon. That was a fact that couldn't be changed. Could she go as far as to say she loved Lars?

… she wasn't sure.

But her inner monologue did make her sure of something. Something Lars had been hinting at throughout this whole journey, but she was too blind to see. She didn't _want_ to acknowledge it, because that would mean admitting she was wrong. That would mean letting down a lot of people. That would mean putting Dameon in a really tough spot.

She was scared of the results. But though she wasn't quite sure where she belonged yet, she _did_ know that it wasn't on a throne in Thais.

What would Dameon say to that, she wondered.

But she was getting way ahead of herself. Who knew if she would even get the chance to inform Dameon of her decision?

… What would Lars say about her decision?

Heck, who was she kidding? Lars would be thrilled, and then proceed to rub it in her face.

Rhen softly giggled to herself. Noticing she had been staring at her ring while thinking this entire time, she set it back down on the edge of the shirt. Her gaze turned to Lars, and her heart near skipped a beat when she saw him staring back at her.

He grinned when he got her attention.

"How long have you been up?" Rhen asked, silently wondering if she had looked weird during her staring off into space.

"Not long. Looked like you were pretty deep in thought, so I didn't want to interrupt," Lars replied, tilting off the wall and stretching out his muscles. Rhen held up his shirt.

"Here, it's dry now. Can't say the same for your jacket."

"Thanks. I'm assuming Hector got the sword?"

"Yeah. I'm going to grill him for details when he wakes up," Rhen responded, looking in his direction, "But I'm worried. Thane said he passed out."

".. Thane?" Lars inquired, shirt now on.

"The guy you were asking about earlier. He dragged Hector back here. Oh, and Hector decided to spend all of our money."

"What?! On what?!"

"That's another thing I have to ask when he wakes up."

Lars looked at her in disbelief for a moment before shaking his head and deciding the subject would be best dropped until they could get answers.

"But anyway, how are you feeling? Two guys out of mana are pretty useless," Rhen jibbed. Lars's chest puffed up in mock hurt.

"So all I'm good for is my mana. I see how it is," Lars sighed, throwing a pebble at her, "But for your information, I feel pretty damn good, other than the fact I've been sleeping against the side of a cliff."

"You used me as a pillow for the majority of the night. It can't be that bad."

Lars's eyebrows shot up. Rhen couldn't discern whether it was because he had forgotten about the position they fell asleep in or if he was just surprised she'd willingly bring that subject up.

"I didn't... like... talk in my sleep or drool or something equally embarrassing, did I?" Lars asked sheepishly, earning a laugh from his companion. Rhen quickly put her hand on her mouth when she remembered Hector and Swilly were sleeping.

"I wish. I wouldn't know, really. I was asleep too."

"... wait. So we were both asleep with no one else here? Not smart."

Rhen shrugged, dragging her knees up to her chest.

"It was a fluke, but we're still alive, so I guess it's fine. Solaris must be starving, the poor thing."

"Speaking of starving, do we have any food?"

"Pfft. All we have is jerky. Believe me, I've looked."

"Anything's better than nothing, I guess," Lars shrugged, getting up. The blankets slid off to a heap on the ground. Rhen observed him as he made his way over to the supply bags.

Being able to make out colors fairly well alerted Rhen of the coming of dusk. She looked up toward the canopy, and sure enough, could see light blues peaking through the green foliage. She took a deep breath, glad to see it. They had stayed in this place for too long.

Lars sat back beside her with a jerky stick hanging from his mouth.

"So what's the plan?" Lars inquired, spreading his legs and lying his elbows on his knees.

"Well, whenever he can move," Rhen began, swinging her head toward the last sleeping male, "We should go check on Solaris. Then I guess we're heading south to the Oldwoods."

"So Swilly'll be leaving us soon, huh?" Lars muttered.

"Grown attached?" Rhen asked with a grin.

"As if," Lars scoffed, ripping a piece of jerky off. Rhen rolled her eyes.

"I'll miss her," she replied, resting her head on her knees, "I wonder how the Snow King and Queen are?"

"Probably great now that the woman doesn't have anyone to be jealous over. I still don't believe she's jealous of a _fairy_," Lars began, stiffening when Rhen opened her mouth, "I know, I know! 'Love is love!' It's _still_ weird!"

Rhen shut her mouth, grinning. She turned toward the beach again, her smile fading.

'Hector needs to wake up already,' Rhen thought with a huff.

"Hey Lars?"

"Hm?"

"Will you come with me? To go check on the blackness?"

"... of course," Lars said, standing. He held a hand out to her, which Rhen gratefully took, and helped her up. He made to let go, but Rhen kept a firm hold. Startled, curious eyes searched her expression as she turned to him. Rhen said nothing, just gave him a small smile, before turning and leading the way.

To say Lars was perplexed would be quite an understatement, but he was inwardly pleased with the events none-the-less. His fingers wrapped and encased her hand protectively.

The beach was a familiar sight, and the sand between their toes was a familiar feeling. The sky was a light powder blue; a pretty sight at any other time.

That line of black stained the horizon. Rhen took in a shaky breath.

"It doesn't look like it's advanced much at all," Lars noted.

"But it's still there."

"Don't get pessimistic on me."

"I'm not. We'll make it go away."

The words were so simple, it was almost laughable. But as Rhen's hand tightened on his own, he was well aware of the severity of them.

"Yeah. We will."

* * *

**Comments, questions, suggestions; all are welcome! I personally loved how this chapter came out - I'm hoping you do too! Rhen made quite a few revelations here!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Rush**  
KikoAyumi

**Pairing:** LarsxRhen DameonxRhen  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Offensive language, angst, and some mature situations. I will definitely warn beforehand.  
**Planned Length:** Long. I'm going for a novel with this one.  
Updates: Absolutely random. I don't have much time to sit and write any longer, so I can't promise anything.

**NOTES:** This takes place nearly two years after the end of Aveyond, when Rhen decided to become Queen and wed Dameon.

**Chapter 12**

* * *

Hector could see Solaris up ahead. As if sensing the stare, the mighty dragon raised its head and looked their direction.

Solaris gave a happy roar upon seeing them. Rhen and Lars laughed at the cute reaction, intertwined hands swinging back and forth as they walked ahead.

…

Hector did a double-take.

Since when did Lars and Rhen hold hands?! And since when did Lars look so... so disgustingly happy?! Adoration and love were practically a visible cloud around the sorcerer!

Hector looked around.

And where was Swilly?

"Hector!"

Great, now he was hearing Ylitta's voice. Had he been drugged? He couldn't remember...

"Hector!"

Ok, he wasn't delusional. He was _definitely_ hearing Ylitta's voice...

"Hector!"

Said man whipped his head up to see... Solaris?

Dear sweet all that was holy, did Solaris eat Ylitta?!

'Wait, no, think rationally here. She wouldn't be alive to yell your name if she had been eaten!' Hector's mind desperately grasped at its sanity.

So... Ylitta had been turned into a dragon?!

'I'm in love with a creature with scales and wings. This is wrong in so many ways.'

"Hector!"

… wait wait!

Were his eyes deceiving him or...

Yes! A completely human Ylitta had just appeared from behind Solaris! Oh thank the heavens!

"Ylitta!" Hector finally shouted back, overjoyed as the woman sprinted toward him, her blonde waves of hair trailing behind her.

With a burst of energy, the young woman jumped, flinging her arms around his neck and hugged tightly.

"Oh thank goodness!" Ylitta exclaimed, moving back just a bit to look up at his face, "I kept getting reports on how bad the Thais situation was getting and I heard no word of you... I just had to come find you myself!"

Something like "That was dangerous; you shouldn't have done that" was on the tip of his tongue, but something of even greater importance won out.

"You were... worried about me?" Hector asked, tentatively. Hopefully.

"Of course, silly," Ylitta replied, smiling cutely, "I worry about the one I love!"

There were fireworks.

"Hector."

Literally, there were fireworks bursting in the background.

"Hector?"

Hector didn't even take the time to wonder how the hell they got there. Cupping his angel's face, he leaned in to kiss her...

"HECTOR?!"

Why wasn't Ylitta closing her eyes for their kiss? … And since when were Ylitta's eyes violet?

Come to think of it, her voice had changed, too. But it was a familiar voice...

Sleepy eyes blinked their way into the world of reality, finally taking in the whole picture. And the picture was most definitely not the one from his dreams.

'Cause he'd never dream about cupping Rhen's face and bringing her lips inches from his own.

And after hearing a horrified gasp, Hector didn't believe Swilly thought so either.

"AAHH!" Hector yelled in panic, practically shoving the girl away from him. In his haste to back himself up, his poor head suffered trauma via the tree behind him.

Rhen clamored to right herself after being shoved away, bringing a hand to gently rub her abused jaw line. She stared wide-eyed at Hector.

"What the heck were you doing?!" Rhen hissed, gathering her wits as she turned her head in Swilly's direction.

Hector had still been asleep just moments ago. Lars and Swilly had ventured out in the woods in search of food due to their friend's spending habits. When Hector had started muttering something in his sleep, Rhen had knelt next to him, trying to wake him up. To her great surprise, Hector had suddenly lifted his hands and cupped her cheeks, dragging her shocked face down to his own.

And if Rhen had to guess, Swilly had just returned from food hunting in time to see their faces inches away from each other. An apple, presumably one she'd been holding, was now lying on the forest floor as the fairy stared at them with a deer-caught-in-headlights look and a mouth hanging open to let the flies in.

"I was _sleeping_! Why were _you_ so close to my face when I woke up?!" Hector hissed back.

"I hear yelling. Hector up?" Lars asked, appearing behind Swilly holding a bag in his right hand.

"Me?! You tried to kiss me!" Rhen yelled in horrid bewilderment.

"It wasn't YOU!" Hector shouted.

"What the hell do you mean, "It wasn't me?!" It was sure as hell my face in your hands!" Rhen screeched.

"Uugh, just shut up! I didn't mean to kiss you; end of story! We didn't even _kiss_!"

"It was THIS close, you pervert!"

"_Pervert_!?"

"Enough."

The fighting pair froze. Both felt a bone-chilling breeze race up their bodies as an ominous presence towered over them. From their seated places on the ground, they slowly craned their heads upward. Lars stood there with an unreadable expression.

"Stop fighting and please explain this... _kiss_... to me clearly," Lars spoke, spitting the word 'kiss' like it was something foul. Hector flinched, suddenly fearing for his life.

"Really! It was a dream! I must have acted it out in real life!" Hector exclaimed. Rhen's eyebrow raised.

"What kind of dream were _you_ having?" Rhen asked slyly, smirking. Hector's cheeks flushed a pretty pink.

"Well it was supposed to be Ylitta, not you, so you can stop freaking out," Hector huffed, annoyed when her smirk only grew bigger, "Stop smiling like that!"

Lars eyed the two for a moment longer before sighing.

"Wow, what bad timing, huh?" Swilly spoke, giggling, "I was gonna say... Rhen, you're really popular, aren't you?"

It was Rhen's turn to flush.

Lars cleared his throat, lifting the bag in his hand.

"We gathered some apples. It'll be annoying to have yet another thing to carry, but thanks to Hector, we'll have to deal with it," Lars spoke. Hector snorted at the jib.

Swilly flew down by Hector, perching herself on his head.

"So are you alright? Can we go?" Swilly asked him, eyes wide in curiosity. It was clear to see the fairy was excited about meeting her kind.

"I guess... I feel alright," Hector replied, pushing himself off the tree and planting his hands on the ground. With a heave, he stood, balancing on his feet. When his eyes landed on the sword hanging from his side, realization dawned on him. "Wait, how'd I get back here?"

"Thane dragged you back," Rhen replied, content to stay seated on the ground for the moment, "And I have a lot of questions for you. How were you able to get the sword without me?"

"Rhen," Lars warned, waiting for her to look at him before tossing her an apple. She caught it, inspecting the fruit for worm holes while waiting for an answer.

"I want one!" Swilly exclaimed.

"I thought you had one?"

"Yeah, kind of dropped it..."

"Easy," Hector began, holding up his palm, "I made an exact replica of your palm and stole some of your blood. I was able to fool the barrier."

Rhen took a large bite out of her apple and chewed, eyebrows raising in surprise before she swallowed, "You were actually able to make an exact copy? Excuse me for finding that amazing after seeing your... clones."

"He's gotten much better," Swilly spoke. To any other person, it would sound like a praise, but Hector caught the underlying intention in those words and cast her a warning glance. He would be damned if the happenings of last night got to the ears of his other two companions. He'd never hear the end of it.

"Damn right I've gotten better," Hector admonished, catching the apple Lars threw to him, "Anyway, you have anymore questions?"

"Well I clearly want to hear the whole story. You passed out due to mana use; getting the sword couldn't have been easy," Rhen reasoned. Swilly laughed at Hector's reluctance to speak.

"He can tell us while we walk. We should get out of here already," Lars said, already holding one of their supply bags. Rhen stood and gathered the blankets they'd used, stuffing them in another bag.

"What does it really matter, anyway? I got the sword," Hector said, chomping down on the apple. Swilly laughed again, leaving Rhen and Lars in wonderment.

"Ok, then Swilly, you explain," Rhen pushed, attaching the Sword of Dreams to her belt as Lars attached the Sword of Light to his.

"Well..."

"I will rip your little wings off," Hector hissed.

"Aw come on! You don't want to tell them about your lover?!" Swilly yelled, flying up and out of reach of Hector's straining fingers.

"Lover?" Lars and Rhen asked simultaneously.

The tips of Hector's ears turned a lovely shade of red.

"ANYWAY, we're moving on..." Hector stressed, marching forward. With glee, Swilly flew between Lars and Rhen.

"I'll let you in on all the details later," she promised before zipping off after Hector.

A smile threatened to pull her lips up as Rhen quirked an eyebrow.

"Do we even want to know?"

"Of course we do," Lars managed with a straight face. Rhen chuckled.

* * *

"How are they so _big_?!"

Hector's voice ricocheted off the massive trees of the Old Woods, echoing throughout the forest.

"Big to you?! Think of _me_!" Swilly argued, joining Hector in gaping up at the trees.

"The elves have taken advantage of the room inside these trees and have built their village in and around them," Rhen explained. Hector frowned.

"Who would want to live in a tree?" Hector commented offhandedly.

"They're elves. They like nature, I guess," Lars replied.

"Not all people need lavish homes like you," Rhen remarked, making Hector snort.

"You're one to talk, Queen."

Rhen almost... _almost_ announced her decision about that title, but snapped her mouth shut just in time. She didn't want them to know yet. Not until she had everything straight in her confused mind.

"It's not like I asked for the castle," she mumbled instead.

"So where are the fairies?!" Swilly asked excitedly. It'd been far too long since she had seen her own kind.

"There were no fairies the last time we were here, so it'd be best to ask the elves," Lars responded as they came to a door in the tree. Hector didn't comment, but his wide eyes showed interest in the odd sight. Walking inside, the air became slightly damp. A ladder lead them up to Ylisfar.

"Still one hell of a climb," Lars grumbled once they reached the top.

"You old man," Rhen snickered.

"_Old_?!"

"Ah!"

The gasp caught the attention of the group, and they turned to see an elf with bright, sea green hair and wide eyes.

"Eh. Please don't tell me this is going to be a repeat of Dirkon?" Rhen asked nervously.

"You... you're Rhen, right?" The elf asked cautiously, looking like she was ready to bolt at any moment.

"Yeah, she's the Queen of Thais. Is there something wrong with that?" Lars asked with a glare. The elven girl stared a little while longer before her body visibly relaxed.

"No, no, I was just... startled," the spoke sheepishly, letting out a sigh, "I'm sorry. Everyone has been on edge because of the black clouds in the distance. We don't exactly know who to trust but.. I don't sense any malicious intent about you. I'm glad."

"Well, Hector, looks like you don't have to come up with another diversion. Darn," Swilly commented, dodging the fist that swung through the air.

"... I think I get it now," Rhen spoke, a finger tapping her chin, "That warning that was sent out to everyone... all it said was that Thais was taken over and the Druids were being controlled. Maybe people think I am being controlled too."

"That would explain the hostility," Lars agreed, frowning, "But that doesn't bode well for us."

"So how did you escape?" The elf suddenly asked, eyes wide with wonder, "And why would you come here?"

Rhen sighed, taking a deep breath before retelling the story.

* * *

"Wow..."

The elf girl, whose name they found was Tianes, sat on the couch contemplating what she'd been told. They had moved inside one of the large trees, sitting themselves on cushioned furniture as a fireplace was emitting heat with light crackling sounds.

"I'm sorry to say that a sword is not in Ylisfar," Tianes continued. Rhen sagged.

"I figured that," Rhen replied, though it was easy to tell she'd still hoped, "But we're also here to see the fairies who reside here."

"The fairies in the Root System?" Tianes inquired.

"Is that where they are? Seems like a pretty dreary place to reside," Lars spoke, making Tianes smile.

"They've put their own little... touches on the place."

"Where's this 'Root System?'" Swilly asked.

"It's right under us," Rhen replied, noticing Hector had fallen asleep on the couch, "Jeez, how much can one guy sleep?"

"He's still probably not fully recovered," Swilly said.

"Let him sleep for now. Swilly, let's get you down to the Root System and then I think we should head to Brumwich to see if they have a sword, though it's doubtful. Then Veldt?" Lars asked, looking at Rhen for confirmation. Rhen nodded before turning to Swilly.

"You keep those fairies safe, 'kay?"

Swilly blinked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You'll be staying with them, right?"

"What!?" Swilly exclaimed, mouth dropping open, "How could I just up and leave you guys?! I am a part of this team! Ahriman is going down!"

Lars smirked and Rhen laughed before pulling the fairy in a hug.

"I'm glad! Though you're crazy for doing this, I'm glad!" Rhen exclaimed.

"Just give me some time to talk with the fairies and I'll be ready to go!" Swilly promised.

"Then if you'll follow me," Tianes alluded, exiting. Swilly zipped after her.

"... you're smiling from ear to ear," Lars spoke, though quietly to not awake his slumbering friend.

"I really thought we were going to lose her. You have to admit she keeps things happy around here," Rhen replied, glancing at Hector, "Let's go outside."

The wooden paths along the outer edges of the trees slightly creaked as they walked. Rhen picked a spot where the huge trees least obstructed her view before sitting down on the edge, feet dangling in the air. Lars sat down next to her

"I can't see the line of black with all these trees in the way," Rhen pouted. Lars leaned back on his palms.

"You shouldn't be thinking about it anyway," Lars suggested.

"How can I not?"

"Think about why the grass is green, or why the sky is blue, or why dogs don't like cats."

"But I'll be thinking forever!"

"Exactly."

"Pft."

"Just trying to help."

"Well you aren't very good at it."

"I'm good at everything."

"Ha, ha. Very funny."

"See? I'm even a good comedian."

Rhen shoved him.

"Hey, watch it! We're pretty high up here!" Lars exclaimed.

"That cliff we jumped off of was higher than this!"

"There's a big difference between landing in water and plummeting to the ground."

"You're good at everything. You'd find a way."

"..."

"I wonder what's different about the Root System?"

"You should have gone with Swilly."

"I think it's best to give her time alone with them."

"I guess. But fairies in the Old Woods, dragons on the Eastern Isle, Dirkon becoming a rich nation... this place sure has changed. It'd be cool if we could travel the isles every couple years or so just to check out the changes."

The off-hand comment settled like a weight in Rhen's chest. The thought of that really _was_ great.

"... then let's do it!"

"Huh?"

"Every couple years or so, let's travel around the isles! Hector and Swilly can even come if they want!"

Lars suddenly looked troubled.

"Rhen. That... we'll be busy. Me with Shadwood and you with Thais."

The weight in her chest grew heavier.

"That's going to be your excuse, isn't it? Because we're busy," Rhen spoke softly, "When this is over, you plan to do the exact same thing as last time."

"Rhen-"

"I don't want you to disappear like last time, Lars. Now, more than ever, I want to stay in contact with you."

"... aaaaah," Lars groaned, running a hand through his hair, "I want to see you too, but... it's just a... hard situation."

"Because of Dameon?"

Lars's lips pursed into a thin line.

"Rhen, stop. We'll talk about this after we destroy Ah-"

"If you run away again, there will be no _chance_ to talk," Rhen cut him off, surprised by how calmly she was addressing this. Lars, however, bristled.

"Then what do you _want_?! What do you want me to say right now?"

"I'm just sick of this, Lars. One minute we're fine, and then the next it's all awkward. I don't want things to be like this."

"Well it will always be like this, because I screwed up," Lars spat bitterly, turning away from her.

A silence swept over them. Rhen slowly swung her legs back and forth, watching them appear and disappear from view. Then, she turned toward her companion, staring at the dark green locks of hair at the nape of his neck.

If only she could read his mind. Maybe she'd be able to get a better grasp of her own.

A flurry of butterflies scattered across her chest, and she had to take a deep breath before speaking.

"Do you regret the kiss?" Rhen asked lowly, her eyes never wavering from his neck. For a few agonizingly silent moments, neither moved.

With a defeated sigh, Lars finally replied, "I wish I could."

"Then tell me how you feel."

The blunt question completely caught him off guard. Lars whipped his head around to look at her, a look of horror on his face. His mouth was open, about ready to fire off words, but the syllables died in his throat.

Rhen had leaned closer to him, and now little space separated them. She stared at him almost determinedly, her fingers clutching the wood beneath her. Despite her unwavering stare, her breathing was off, heart beating its way into infinity.

"... you're pretty cruel," Lars whispered, a breathless laugh sending puffs of air onto Rhen's face, "You know and yet you still want me to say it."

Almost.

She was so close to a confession.

"I don't want assumptions," Rhen muttered.

The smile slipped off his face. His shoulders sagged, his resolve breaking.

Green and purple strands of hair mingled together before their foreheads connected. Lars closed his eyes, but Rhen's remained open, now trained on his lips.

Those lips opened, closed after hesitation, and then opened once more.

"I love you, Rhen Pendragon," he admitted with a sigh, "I don't even understand how this happened. You drive me crazy, you don't listen to me, you're incredibly stubborn, and yet I've come to love everything about you."

Rhen's eyes slipped closed. Her skin felt tingly and her head hurt. The only thing in the world that mattered in that moment of time was Lars Tenobar.

She wanted to kiss him. The stubborn, lingering doubts that always invaded the back of her mind had vanished, leaving her with a sense of peace and belonging. A sense of safety with a man she loved.

… loved, huh?

Her hand found his neck, the same spot she'd been staring at moments ago, and tugged. It was only a small movement, a small distance...

There was contact. Sweet, fiery contact for a brief moment...

The sound of a door creaking open startled them. The kiss was broken as quickly as it'd began.

Hector stood in the open doorway, rubbing his eyes. He blinked them a couple times before they settled on the seated pair.

"Guess I feel asleep," Hector said sheepishly, stretching his arms high above his head, "Where'd Swilly go?"

Hector paused in mid-stretch. Rhen had all but turned her entire body away from both he and Lars, while Lars stared at her back with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.

What in the world had he just walked in on?

"Uh... should I go back to sleep...?" Hector asked carefully.

Lars seemed to get a hold of himself before shooting a deadly glare in Hector's direction. Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand to attention, he chuckled nervously, backing his way into the room he emerged from.

He didn't quite make it inside, however, before new voices approached them.

"Guys, guys! Meet the fairies!" Swilly exclaimed cheerfully. Behind her flew five new fairies curiously observing them, "Oh good, Hector's up!"

"Eh.." Hector began, wanting to tell Swilly that now was not the best time. However, Rhen stood and faced Swilly with a smile.

"Hi!" She greeted enthusiastically. The fairies seemed to like the greeting and smiled, flying around her to talk. Lars stared at the scene for a while before he stood up himself. He walked toward Hector, and Hector almost thought he would get hit for a moment, but Lars just brushed by him and went inside. With a wary sigh, Hector shut the both of them inside the room and turned to look at Lars.

The sorcerer was standing in front of the fireplace, staring at the flames with one hand over his mouth. Because of the dancing flames giving the room a faint glow, Hector wasn't sure if he saw a blush on the man's face or not.

"So, uh," Hector began, swinging his arms around nonchalantly, "What happened?"

Lars removed the hand from his mouth, revealing a smile.

This actually scared Hector. A death glare and then a smile? Talk about mood swings.

"She kissed me."

Hector nearly fell over.

"... she kissed you?"

"Yeah."

"Just like that?"

"Yeah."

"No explanation?"

"No."

"... she kissed you."

"Haven't we had a conversation like this before?" Lars asked, smirking.

"Yeah, we have, but the mood's a little different," Hector replied with a chuckle.

"She made me confess. I told her I loved her, Hector. And then she... kissed me. … and then SOMEONE walked outside."

Hector feared for his life again. More so as Lars stalked over to him, grabbing his shoulders.

"She kissed me, so she has to feel something for me, right? I mean, she never said anything, but... you don't kiss someone out of the blue like that!" Lars exclaimed, now shaking Hector back and forth.

"Whoa, dude, calm down," Hector pleaded, halting his body from being used like a rag doll, "Look, I'm happy for you and all, but I think you've forgotten a very important thing here. And it involves a Sun Priest and a ring on Rhen's finger!"

Lars scowled and let him go completely.

"I know. I know that," Lars replied, walking over to the couch and plopping himself down on the cushions. He covered his face with one arm.

There was a brief silence.

"I'm going to let you think alone in here for a while. I want to meet Swilly's friends anyway," Hector said, walking toward the door. Lars nodded.

When Hector was outside, we was surprised to see only Rhen there, and in the same position she'd previously been sitting.

"Where'd they go?" Hector inquired, standing beside her. Rhen looked up at him.

"They already went back. Swilly insisted that she was in a hurry so we could leave. The fairies are all for traveling to the Northern Isle," Rhen explained with a smile.

Hector studied her for a moment.

"He's my best friend, you know. Not to sound like a father protecting his daughter here, but don't hurt him," Hector ordered, crossing his arms. Rhen blinked.

"You knew? About his feelings?"

"Of freaking course I knew! And let me say, I had quite some trouble processing the information when he came back to the Eastern Isle saying he loved you."

"So it _was_ from all the way back then..." Rhen muttered.

"What about Dameon?" Hector bluntly asked. He saw Rhen stiffen.

"Dameon... Dameon... I don't know," the last part came out in a dejected whisper.

"... then do me a favor and don't get his hopes up if you still aren't sure of your own feelings."

"..."

"..."

"... don't become my love confidant, please?"

"Just saying."

"Ooooookay!" Swilly suddenly shouted, flying over to them, "We're ready to go!"

Next stop: Brumwich.

* * *

**Aaaaaaaaaaand Lars has finally said it out loud! And RHEN was actually the one who made him! Muwahaha! Let me just say, again, how much I love Hector!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Rush **  
KikoAyumi  
**  
Pairing:** LarsxRhen DameonxRhen  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Offensive language, angst, and some mature situations. I will definitely warn beforehand.  
**Planned Length:** Long. I'm going for a novel with this one.  
**Updates:** Absolutely random. I don't have much time to sit and write any longer, so I can't promise anything.

**NOTES:** This takes place nearly two years after the end of Aveyond, when Rhen decided to become Queen and wed Dameon.

**Chapter 13**

"And we are once again without a sword," Hector drawled, shuffling backwards and falling onto his bed with a thump, "How many more are there, anyway?"

The Inn in Brumwich was relatively small and the beds lacked the right amount of cushion. Hector grimaced at this fact, squirming amongst the sheets. After some tossing and turning, not to mention a few punches aimed at the mattress, a defeated sigh slipped from his lips.

He turned to look at his companion, fully aware of his question still hanging in the air.

Lars was not even looking at him, but was staring the ceiling down as if it had personally wronged him. Or maybe, Hector deduced, he was staring through the ceiling and up at the Gods, cursing the injustices of life.

The fact that the ceiling had done nothing but innocently cover their heads throughout the time they had been in Brumwich, he decided it was the later.

Without a second thought, he extended his arm and slapped the inside of his palm against the nightstand. The loud sound not only made Lars come back to earth, but to Hector's enjoyment, startled him quite visibly.

"Quit being emo," Hector advised, acting like Lars was not sending a highly annoyed glare his way.

"I'm just thinking," Lars muttered, turning his gaze back up to the ceiling. He shifted, bringing one knee up off the bed, before setting it back down in a huff. Hector grinned at this, knowing the sorcerer was just as uncomfortable on these beds as he was.

"Thinking about what?" Was Hector's response. It was a rhetorical question, really. Hector figured one would have to be mentally ill to not know what was nagging on Lars's mind. No reason not to humor him, though.

There was a silence that permeated the room, and Hector simply waited. He caught a ladybug climbing on his headboard and flicked it off. The red insect saved itself from a horrible landing by spreading its wings in midair. It flew over to the other side of the room, as if trying to distance itself from Hector as much as possible, and landed. Hector curiously watched it crawl around, wondering where it would settle, until Lars's voice cut through the silence.

"I want to talk to her about earlier."

Hector didn't appreciate the vagueness.

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb," Lars growled.

"OH, you mean the Queen of Thais! Dameon's wife! I see, I see."

Hector observed just how many muscles could twitch in Lars's face.

"What the hell, Hector?" Lars near yelled. He watched as his best friend sat up and eyed him. The look was so condescending it made the hair on the back of Lars's head stand up.

"I'm reminding you of the facts. Lars, I would have your back in any other situation but this... you're being selfish. She has her own life, one that she _chose. _And now that life has been ripped to shreds and she's more vulnerable than she's ever been," Hector spoke, lacing his fingers together.

"I know she chose it, but Hector, surely you aren't blind? She isn't happy!"

"Then why is she so devastated now that she lost what was her life?"

"People _died_. Right in front of her eyes! Of course she's devastated!"

"The reason she keeps looking down at that ring is _not _because people died," Hector rebutted, making Lars visibly wince, "Lars, it was fine in the beginning. You messed up and kissed her, but then you backed off. You should have kept it like that and let her decide what to make of it. But no, instead, you keep plowing ahead, reaching for what you want with this twisted new-found hope because she happened to fall at your doorstep."

"It wasn't all me," Lars pleaded, guarded as he chose his words carefully, "She confides in me. She sought me out for what I felt. She kissed me-"

"Dameon was first. He's not available right now, so guess what?"

The words were cruel; their unsaid meaning gripping Lars's chest like a vice. The sorcerer stood, trembling with barely concealed anger, and raised his fist. Hector sat still, didn't even flinch, as he watched the fist descending upon his face.

The blow whipped his head to the side. Eyes that had closed upon contact now slid open, white splashes clouding his vision as the throbbing sensation on his cheek slowly registered in his brain. The white dots eventually dissipated amongst the tan-ness of the blanket beneath him, and Hector faintly heard the door to the room open and close.

He stayed in that position, head hanging over the bed. His cheek was screaming in aggravation, pleading for an ice pack. He just grit his teeth and let it throb.

He finally sat up when his neck began hurting. Glassy, watery eyes stared up at the spot on the ceiling Lars had been so determined to glare at earlier.

She hadn't answered him. When he told Rhen not to hurt Lars, she had changed the subject. She still wasn't sure.

As much as it hurt Lars to hear him say what he did, it would hurt so... so much worse if Rhen ran right back into Dameon's arms. Hector didn't want Lars to go into this with such high hopes when the outcome was undecided.

"Sorry," Hector muttered into the empty room. The ladybug from before appeared, landing on the ceiling. Hector barely registered it before he could see nothing but a blurry red dot.

In the next room over, completely unaware of the tension next door, Rhen crossed her arms and set her chin atop. She was lying on her stomach, absentmindedly swinging her legs back and forth in the air behind her.

Swilly was busy making herself a small, makeshift bed on the dresser.

"Hey Swilly? Have you ever been in love?" Rhen ventured. Swilly paused in her ministrations and raised an eyebrow.

"No, I haven't."

Rhen let out a long puff of air and buried her head in her folded arms before speaking, her voice muffled, "Well don't ever do it. It's confusing and torturous."

Swilly snorted at the blunt reply. Contemplating, the fairy zipped over and sat on Rhen's pillow.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you marry Dameon?"

Rhen looked up in surprise, the question catching her off-guard. Why? There were so many reasons why...

"What exactly are you looking for? He was a charmer right from the start," Rhen spoke, a soft smile fluttering across her lips, "He's strong, both mentally and physically. He's brilliant and he uses that mind to govern Thais in the best way possible... citizens adore him. I know, without a doubt, he would stay by my side no matter what."

"Ok, then why did you kiss Lars?"

Rhen sat up, fast as lightning, her face a brilliant red.

"How do you know that!" Rhen hissed frantically.

"Hector told me."

"How does _he_ know?"

"Breathe, Rhen," Swilly advised, calmly observing the uptight girl, "I think Lars told him."

Trying to do what Swilly had told her, Rhen took a deep breath and let it back out, cheeks still dusted red. Just the thought of that kiss... well...

She didn't know what to do with herself. She couldn't bring herself to lie; she wanted to kiss him. But the implications of what that _meant_ were the scariest things.

Rhen was fully aware of how much of a yo-yo her feelings had been lately, and a nagging part of her mind was screaming at her to get her thoughts straight. Unfortunately, there were just too many variables to take into account at the moment. Insecurity and doubt were evil things.

"Are you going to avoid the question?" Swilly goaded.

"Why are you being so persistent?" Rhen nearly whined, shifting to wrap her arms around her knees. Swilly rolled her eyes at the blatant avoidance.

"Look, think about what you just told me a couple minutes ago," Swilly said, getting a curious look from Rhen, "With the way you just described Dameon, it seems like everything was fine with you two."

"Yes...? It wa- _is_," Rhen stressed, slumping her shoulders a bit when the weight of the situation came flying back to her by her own words.

"So why would you tell me that love is confusing and torturous?" Swilly asked, and was pleased when Rhen stiffened, "You're in love with Lars."

"But I _can't_ be! I can't! I'm married, I'm the queen of Thais, we _hated_ each other!" Rhen hissed desperately, though her resolve was breaking with every defense, "We butt heads constantly. He's a brat. My destiny wasn't supposed to have him in it!"

The young queen was very much on the edge of tears. Feeling slightly guilty for bringing this on, Swilly flew up and hugged one of Rhen's hands for comfort.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up Rhen," Swilly apologized softly, patting her hand, "But listen. Stop saying that 'you can't'. It's as simple as you do or you don't."

Rhen's heart thumped loudly as the words brought back a memory.

"_You're right. With Swilly gone now… maybe it was jealousy after all," Rhen answered._

_"… She's a fairy," Lars reiterated disbelievingly. Rhen grinned, shrugging._

_"Love is love."_

_Lars frowned, turning away. _

Her own words caused a lump to form in her throat. The Snow Queen being jealous of Swilly... just as Lars did not believe it possible, Rhen was coming up with excuse upon excuse as to why she could not love him.

Love is love.

So simple, yet it held the greatest impact in the world.

And Rhen was just hit, hard.

The next morning was unbearably silent. Even though they were all sitting around the same table, satisfying their stomachs for the day, detachment hung in the air like a cloud.

Lars brooded. He could have been eating crayons for all he cared; there was no taste. His mind was too preoccupied with the cutting words his best friend had told him the night before, as well as resentment for letting the night pass without ultimately saying a word to Rhen. He avoided eye contact with both of them.

Hector was tense, shoving food around on his plate more than he was shoving it into his mouth. A little ball he knew was guilt bounced around in his stomach. He was regretting the way he'd handled things with Lars, but didn't quite know how to smooth things over with him. There was really nothing he could say that would make things better, not when Rhen was sitting over there still not knowing what she was going to do.

Said girl had a different strategy of getting lost in her own thoughts. She had eaten her breakfast in a massive hurry, the plate now in front of her with a few measly crumbs, and settled her full attention on what was out the window. Nothing was particularity interesting out there, the view was blocked by some trees, but her eyes never wavered.

Swilly was the only one daring enough to let her eyes roam where she pleased. Of course, she was the one who played the innocent bystander in all this. She had decided to give Rhen some advice last night, but she had no idea if she had gotten through to the girl. Nibbling on bacon, she sighed, hoping they would get going soon. Surely this silence couldn't last forever.

Hector pushed his plate away. It was still half full, but he didn't have the stomach to eat it. When he looked up, he met Swilly's gaze, and stood up.

"I'm going outside for a minute," Hector excused himself.

"I'll come with you," Swilly volunteered, zipping over to his shoulder.

Rhen and Lars both watched them leave, but didn't voice their goodbyes. Rhen turned back toward the window, leaning her head heavily on her hand.

For the first time that morning, Lars glanced at her. She looked highly distracted, and he couldn't blame her. They were getting close to the final confrontation. And after that...

What would become of things after that?

He could almost feel his heart being tugged by the urge to talk to her. Which is why it nearly stopped beating when she talked instead.

"We'll have something for Solaris to eat, right?" Rhen asked, turning toward him.

"Yeah, I already took care of that before we started eating," Lars responded, Rhen nodding in confirmation. Lars watched with apprehension when she bit her lip, ocean blue eyes dropping down to the table.

"Lars," Rhen spoke his name more strongly than she felt, lacing her fingers together on the tabletop, "I c-"

The door busted open, causing the two of them to jump in their seats.

"Rhen!" Hector exclaimed, eyes wide, "You should come see this!"

The sense of urgency in his tone had Rhen out of her seat and out the door within seconds, Lars a step behind.

The entire sky was abnormally dark. What had been a black line along the horizon had grown significantly, stretching across the sky with spidery black arms.

"How did it suddenly move so fast?" Lars asked in wonder, his eyes squinting as wind whipped against his face.

"We have to go _now_," Rhen ordered, running back in the Inn to grab their stuff. The others followed close behind, confused and worried.

What had caused the sudden advance?

Hector sheathed the swords while Lars packed up their blankets and food. After tying two swords to his belt, Hector handed the other one to Lars.

Despite the rush he was in, Lars paused when the Sword of Might was pressed in his hand.

"I'll sacrifice my manliness for today," Hector said, gesturing to the yellow and pink swords adorning his figure, "Sort of an apology for last night."

Lars grinned, securing the sword on his own belt, before replying, "What manliness?"

Hector pursed his lips to stop a smart remark from emerging.

'Apology, apology, apology,' the word kept repeating in Hector's mind as he glared at Lars. Lars laughed, slinging a bag over his shoulder and walking out of the room. Despite the glare, Hector was relieved Lars wasn't holding a grudge against him.

The four met in the foyer, double checking everything they had before leaving Brumwich behind.

The walk to Solaris was quick and windy. The dragon was immensely pleased upon seeing them, even more so when she was fed. After her meal, they soared off into the sky, heading for the Southern Isle.

The inky blackness grew thicker as they approached the desert lands. The entire island had been cast in shadows.

Rhen didn't even want to imagine what had become of Thais.

Rhen leaned forward when something strange caught her eye. Lights... moving lights were shining their way through the darkness ahead.

"What's that?" Rhen questioned, making Lars, Hector, and Swilly aware of them. As they grew closer, shapes could be seen.

"The people of Veldt?" Lars wondered aloud.

Sure enough, a huge crowd of people were making their way across the desert and away from Veldt. Lanterns lit their way, supplies carried on their backs.

They were near running.

"Hector, go down!" Rhen exclaimed. Hector glanced back at her before maneuvering the reigns. Solaris slowly changed their course, circling downwards. The large creature apparently startled the citizens, for their was some screaming from below.

"Crap!" Hector yelled when he noticed a group of archers aiming to attack, "Don't!"

His plead was unheard. Gritting his teeth, he pulled harshly on the reigns just as the arrows were shot. Solaris made a quick left due to the jerk, but one of the arrows still managed to pierce a piece of her wing. She yelled in aggravation, snorting at the archers below.

"We don't mean you any harm, please!" Rhen shouted. The archers heard the plea this time, pausing in contemplation.

"What's going on? Why are you running away from Veldt?" Lars shouted, cursing as the wind picked up.

A woman who was carrying a baby, probably the wife of one of the archers (or maybe all of them) since she had stayed behind with them, apparently sensed no danger with the situation and answered, "The black skies are bringing miasma from the west. We were informed it would hit Veldt soon."

Rhen grit her teeth, and then felt her heart plummet.

Miasma? About to hit Veldt? But that would mean Thais was already covered in it! How would they get there unharmed?

"Thank you!" Lars shouted down to them before turning to Hector, "Go, now. We have to see if Veldt has a sword before this miasma hits."

With a flap of her wings that put out some of the lanterns out below, Solaris once again took off into the sky.

"What if no one is in Veldt? It doesn't look like we'll have much time to search for a sword," Swilly expressed her worry from Rhen's pocket. Her voice could only be heard by Rhen over the wind.

Rhen just shook her head, not sure herself.

Solaris landed just outside of Veldt's gates. The palace stood on the highest mountain, its shimmering metallic looking a dull grey. For the most part, the whole city looked deserted.

"Let's go up to the palace," Lars suggested, softly putting a hand on Rhen's shoulder. She turned to look at him, a halfhearted smile settling on her face before she pressed on.

It was strange, seeing such a lively and colorful place so dead. Elini and John flashed through Rhen's mind. It would have been nice to run into them, though not necessarily in these circumstances.

Just as they reached the front of the palace, the front doors swung open. Rhen nearly jumped out of her skin as two people rushed out, promptly stopping upon seeing the trio.

"I thought everyone had evacuated... ah!" One exclaimed, eyes going wide after studying Rhen, "You're the queen of Thais!"

The other cringed at that fact, narrowing her gaze on the travelers before asking, "What the hell is going on over there?"

A shiver raced down Rhen's back. Their gazes imitated the hostile ones she had received in Dirkon.

"We're trying to stop whatever is going on over there!" Hector reasoned, waving a hand in the air, "Is one of the legendary swords here or not?"

Lars jabbed his elbow into Hector's side, not approving of his impatience. Hector ignored it, standing taller as if to intimidate his opponent. There was no intimidating a Veldtian woman, however. Shifting her cloth-covered items over to one arm, she reached forward with her free hand and grasped his collar tightly.

"Is that how to ask for anything, little boy?" She grated out. Hector flushed red at the insult, and sweat broke out on his brow when he felt the power of this woman seeping into his skin.

Lars and Rhen couldn't help but grin.

"Regardless of his tactless self," Rhen tried to amend, fueling Hector's anger, "Yes, I am the queen of Thais, and we believe the only way to stop this... miasma is if we collect all of the legendary swords."

The woman released her hold, much to Hector's relief, and glanced at her companion. The man shrugged.

After a quick glance at the blackness's source, she shrugged herself.

"Either way we could die, I guess," she spoke, uncovering some of the cloth in her arms. There amongst blue linen, the Sword of Silence slept.

Swilly's eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

"What luck!" Swilly exclaimed happily as Rhen was handed the sword.

The Veldtian woman regarded the happy fairy with a pulled-up lip.

"You continue to celebrate while we get the hell out of here," she said, pushing past the group and flying down the steps. The man jumped upon her sudden departure, running after her.

"That was one scary woman," Hector remarked as they made their way down the steps.

"We told you about Veldt, Hector. The woman hold all the power here," Rhen explained. Hectors eyes widened in realization.

"That's _this_ place? Where woman have like a million husbands?"

"I think a million is pushing it," Lars responded.

"What_ever_. You know what I'm talking about. No wonder I had a bad feeling about this place," Hector said in disgust, looking to his left by pure chance and felt his throat grow dry, "... go. GO GO!"

With a force that nearly sent them flying face-first on the ground, Rhen and Lars found themselves being pushed toward.

"What the-?" Lars managed, before the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Something was behind them...

In the next moment, Lars grabbed Rhen's arm and started running for dear life. Her feet barely managing to keep up with the pace, Rhen risked a look over her shoulder. Swilly had the same idea, zipping up to Rhen's shoulder and peeking over.

It was no longer just an indistinguishable color in the sky. A thick cloud of blackish purple poison was crawling along the land, swallowing everything within its wake.

Solaris could feel the change in the air, restlessly shuffling around, but loyally standing her ground.

"Where are we going to go?" Hector asked quickly, heaving himself up on Solaris. He held a hand out for Rhen, which she gratefully took. Lars handed her the luggage once she was up, before quickly getting on himself.

Rhen's mind was a jumbled mess. Hector's question lingered in the air, and she had no idea what to say. If they ran away from the miasma, they would be running from the root of the problem!

Think... think!

"Head for the Wildwoods," Lars commanded, startling her from her thoughts. Hector, hearing the familiar name, took off without a second thought, "Hug the miasma. This is going to be tight."

"What are we doing?" Rhen asked, twisting around to face him.

"We need some sort of shelter," Lars said out loud, pausing before leaning closer to Rhen, "Halloween Hills is the only chance we have. The gate to the Underworld is in the Wildwoods... there's a good possibility this miasma will not transfer from one world to the other with the gates closed."

"But then what...?"

Lars frowned, shaking his head, "Don't think too far ahead. Right now we have to focus on getting to that gate."

"Halloween Hills? Won't Hector freak out?" Swilly inquired.

"Better than dying," Lars countered.

"What are you all whispering back there and why the hell am I out of it?" Hector yelled, glancing back at them for a moment. Rhen leaned forward, placing her hands against his back.

"There's a gate built into one of the cliffs in the Wildwoods. You know where the Hungry Boar Tavern is? We're aiming for a little south of that," Rhen instructed, looking out over the sea. The Eastern Isle could faintly be seen ahead.

"What's there that could help us?" Hector asked. Rhen smiled sweetly.

"Trust us."

Hector didn't look very convinced, but he proceeded regardless.

Upon reaching the outskirts of the Eastern Isle, they noticed Land's End was already completely consumed by the dark cloud.

"We don't have time to land Solaris out of the forest and walk to the gate. We'll have to take her as low as she can go and jump off!" Lars reasoned. Solaris seemed rather opposed to the idea. She was already restless because of the massive amount of energy to her right, that she did not feel up to trying to skim the tops of the trees.

"Come on!" Hector exclaimed, pulling on the reigns. Solaris growled, irritated, but drew closer to the ground.

"There!" Rhen shouted when she saw the gate. Hector's eyebrows furrowed as he studied the doorway. It seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

Solaris stopped just out of the gate. Lars swung his leg over and jumped off. When his feet touched the ground, he stumbled, propelled forward by gravity. His knees hit the dirt and it took a moment for him to collect himself before looking up.

"Drop the supplies!" He shouted. Rhen, one by one, let the sacks fall into Lar's hold before jumping down herself.

"Thanks Solaris," Hector whispered tenderly, patting the dragon's neck, "Take off!"

With that last command, Solaris took off into the air just as Hector harshly hit the ground.

The miasma was barely brushing their feet.

"Go inside!" Lars yelled. They all rushed toward the gate and ran inside.

There was a sudden flash of swirling black, blues, and purples. In the next moment, they stood looking at a darkened landscape filled with dead, twisting trees. A bat flew over their heads, read eyes leering at them curiously.

Rhen spun around, looking at the gate they had just passed through. It looked undisturbed.

"You were right!" Rhen exclaimed in barely self-contained delight, hugging Lars from the side. Lars grinned triumpantly. Swilly laughed, flying out of Rhen's pocket and joined the hug.

One member of the group, however, stood perfectly still.

"... where are we?" Hector asked. Deep, deep inside, he already knew.

Rhen pulled back from the hug, smirking at the devastated look Hector had on his face.

"We're in the Underworld!" Swilly confirmed.

Lars and Rhen moved fast, just barely managing to grab the fleeing Hector, who set his gaze on the gate.

"Let me GO!" Hector exclaimed, squirming and jerking within their hold. Lars and Rhen had to hold in their laughter.

"You'll die out their, idiot!" Rhen exclaimed.

"I'll die HERE. Some vampire is gonna suck my blood and it'll be slow and painful and if I go out there, it'll be quick and I won't have to suffer!" Hector rambled, not in the right mind to consider how painful it would be to die by breathing in poison.

Laughter finally broke from Lars's lips. Swilly put a finger to her chin, thinking.

"Speaking of vampires, do we even have any garlic?" Swilly asked.

The struggling trio suddenly grew still. Lars and Rhen looked at each other with wide eyes, as if the thought just came to their minds.

Hector promptly fainted.


	14. Chapter 14

**Rush **  
KikoAyumi  
**  
Pairing:** LarsxRhen DameonxRhen  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings:** Offensive language, angst, and some mature situations. I will definitely warn beforehand.  
**Planned Length:** Long. I'm going for a novel with this one.  
**Updates:** Absolutely random. I don't have much time to sit and write any longer, so I can't promise anything.

**NOTES:** This takes place nearly two years after the end of Aveyond, when Rhen decided to become Queen and wed Dameon.

**Chapter 14**

"So... what's the plan?" Swilly ventured.

The four companions were just outside of Ghed'ahre, situated low in the bushes.

"All I can think of is make a run for Te'ijal's house and hope she's home," Rhen said, shifting her eyes to look at Hector, who was sprawled out on the ground, "For crying out loud, Hector, get up!"

"I'm passed out," Hector spoke, refusing to open his eyes as his body lay haphazardly against the grass.

"We clearly believe you," Lars drawled, kicking his friend in the side.

"Ow!" Hector complained, slitting his eyes open just enough to glare up at his assaulter.

"This Te'ijal vampire won't try to suck our blood?" Swilly asked a little worriedly.

Before Rhen or Lars could assure her, Hector abruptly sat up, shaking the dirt from his hair.

"Yes, she will, because she's a freaking _vampire_!" Hector exclaimed, crossing his arms in a huff, "Which is why I'm staying right here. You guys can go get eaten up in there if you want, but this guy is not moving from this spot!"

"Te'ijal is our friend. She won't harm you," Rhen sighed. Sure, seeing Hector scared out of his mind over the living dead was highly amusing, but it was quickly becoming a hindrance.

"Well _I_ don't know this Te'ijal chick! And didn't you have garlic necklaces like normal people who go to visit vampires do when you met her? … wait, no _normal_ person would go see vampires anyway!" Hector seemed quite proud of this revelation, nodding to himself.

"Fine," Lars gave in, walking toward Ghed'ahre, "You stay here then, Hector. Wait for us, all alone in haunted woods, while we go and bring back some vampires."

Hector tensed, suddenly feeling the need to look around at the woods surrounding him. Rhen and Swilly trailed after Lars, keeping his word true.

It got quiet.

Quiet and dark.

… did something just _move_ over there?

In a flash, Hector was running after them.

"Eh heh heh heh," Hector laughed breathlessly, catching up to them, "You know, you guys don't stand a chance with these vampires. I'll tag along and keep you safe and all..."

Lars snorted, pleased his plan had worked, while Swilly and Rhen giggled.

"Just don't pass out on us, ok?" Rhen pleaded with a smile.

Hector could only snort in response, trudging forward even as every fiber of his being was pulling him in the opposite direction.

They darted into Ghed'ahre.

It took no time at all for the lingering scent of human blood to permeate the air and alert near-by vampires of their presence. The vampires walking the grounds turned in obvious interest, the eldest able to stand their ground whilst the youngest of the bunch felt their instincts kicking in rather quickly.

It was a young boy who lashed out first.

Lars shielded them just in time, sending the young one flying back.

"Keep them back, please!" Rhen exclaimed hopefully, glancing at the vampires who held their ground. It was easy to tell the vampires were highly disgruntled by their appearance, and pleads would more than likely not be answered.

"Rhen?"

Said girl skidded to a halt and looked behind her. A vampiress stood, regarding them carefully while a ghost swirled around her.

"Vorona!" Rhen acknowledged.

Vorona was suddenly in front of them, holding two vampires by their shirts as they tried to get to Rhen's party.

"Why in the world are you not wearing garlic?" Vorona asked, scrunching up her nose.

"We didn't have time. We need to see Te'ijal," Lars spoke, sidestepping her as they walked passed.

"Thank you!" Swilly yelled over her shoulder.

In under a minute, they found themselves in Te'ijal's house, Lars shutting and locking the door quickly behind them. Out of breath, they stood with a hand on their chests.

Hector, by now a pasty shade of white, leaned against the wall for support.

"Who just barged in he- Rhen? Lars?"

Galahad stood in the hallway, looking confused at their sudden arrival.

"Rhen?" Te'ijal's voice echoed from further in the house, and within seconds, the vampiress was standing beside Galahad, "Well, to what do I owe the honor? Are you trying to tempt me with that blood of yours?"

Hector tried his hardest to sink further into the wall.

Rhen could only manage a smile.

"It's good to see you again, both of you," Rhen said warmly, her rushing heart slowly calming, "I think we're going to need your help."

"It is odd to see you two together," Te'ijal remarked, choosing not to elaborate before turning attention to the man about to hyperventilate behind them, "Who is this?"

"No one important!" Hector squeaked, his voice cracking, "You don't need to pay any attention to me!"

Rhen, Lars, and Swilly snickered.

"His name is Hector," Lars introduced, ignoring Hector's wide-eyed "Why the heck did you just tell her that-she's gonna hunt me down!" look, "And this is Swilly."

Swilly curiously peaked over Rhen's shoulder.

"Charmed," Te'ijal spoke politely, before focusing her attention on Rhen, "But I'm sure the Queen of Thais would be too busy to visit the Underworld unless it was something important?"

"Yeah... can I talk to you alone?" Rhen asked, suddenly feeling the urge to have a nice one-on-one chat like old times.

As Te'ijal nodded, Galahad looked offended.

"And why can I not know?" He asked, puffing up his chest like he was someone extremely important.

"We'll fill you in," Lars promised.

The two woman walked off into the house. Hector relaxed, just a bit, but apprehensively looked at Galahad. Galahad quickly took notice of the frightened stare and frowned.

"I assure you, sir, I am nothing like that undead disaster of a woman. I am an honorable man who was tricked!" Galahad proclaimed strongly. Lars rolled his eyes at the dramatics.

"But that is not the point here," Lars spoke, Galahad looking scandalized at his obvious couldn't-care-less attitude, "The point is Ahriman still lives."

Galahad's eyes grew impressively large.

"How is that even possible?"

And so, in both sides of the house, the story was told.

About an half hour later, they all met up in the dining room.

"So you need to find a way to get back into the Overworld..." Te'ijal pondered.

"Is there any other way out of the Underworld?" Swilly asked, but got shaking heads in response, "Then I don't see how..."

"I could always turn you all into vampires," Te'ijal said with a smirk, startling everyone, "There is a high probability this miasma would not hurt the undead. But you would never go for this, of course."

"Heh heh... no, not if there's another way," Rhen answered, looking pale. If that was the only way... she would have to do it, but oh my gosh, she wanted to stay _alive!_

Lars also looked quite stricken at the thought. Hector's reaction would have been funny to see, if he was in the room. His fear had left him in the living room, most likely listening in, but as far away from the vampires as possible.

"I will _not_ let you turn these good people into monsters," Galahad said with a glare.

"You're so cute," Te'ijal commented, not taking him seriously in the slightest, "But no, I don't believe there's a need for that. If we can get a potion made for us, you should be fine."

"Potion?" Lars inquired, leaning forward with new-found hope in his eyes.

"Yes. A potion that makes your heart stop beating."

"... um, I don't want to die?" Rhen asked fearfully, but Te'ijal just shook her head.

"You don't. The potion will give you the aspects of the undead. It was created for the rich who traded between the Underworld and Overworld. They could freely come here without being detected. It seems like such a potion would be perfect for this."

A brilliant smile crossed Rhen's face.

"Then that's it! Where can we get this potion?" She asked excitedly.

"And how much is it?" Lars asked, raising an eyebrow, "You just said it was created for the rich."

"Yes, it is rather expensive," Te'ijal replied, stroking her fingers against her chin, "But I'm sure you'll be able to bargain with them. Maybe even ask for a loan; Rhen definitely has the money, just not at this point in time. You would have to travel to New Witchwood and get one of the witches to make it."

"Then we'll go now," Rhen determined, looking at her companions. Swilly and Lars nodded at her.

"Well then let me follow you out. I'll keep these vampires at bay," Galahad volunteered.

Rhen made to go, but stopped when Te'ijal's hands fell on her shoulders.

"Do be careful, Rhen," Te'ijal said seriously, patting her shoulders before letting go. Rhen flashed her a smile, and followed the others in the living room.

"We're leaving? Thank God," Hector commented upon seeing them.

"Yeah, now we're going to see witches," Lars said with a smirk as Hector groaned and his body sagged.

"He just can't win," Swilly giggled.

* * *

Really, Hector reasoned, New Witchwood wasn't as scary. It was just more disgusting with that awful sludge everywhere.

"Four hours?"

Hector turned his gaze away from the window when he heard Rhen's distressed yell. They had found a witch who said she could make the potion, but it apparently was going to take some time.

"Best I can do," the witch said, in a take-it-or-leave it tone. Rhen sighed, nodding.

"Then fine. But if it is ready any sooner, _please _tell us right away."

"Don't rush me, lady," the witch responded with a critical eye before going about her own business.

Rhen was outright frustrated by the news, and the witch they had to deal with. Even though she explained the situation, the woman acted like she didn't care. And Rhen guessed she didn't, since it wasn't affecting_ her _in any way.

Some people were just so ignorant. Those were not the kind of people she needed right now.

She looked around. Hector was looking out the window with a grimace. Swilly had flown up to the ceiling, curiously watching the witch at work. Lars was sitting down, seeming to look at nothing in particular, and then his eyes met her own.

Rhen tried to smile with her sigh. Lars offered a smile back at her, glanced at the front door, and then motioned her to follow as he stood.

Taking a deep breath, she followed him out.

"So I'm pretty awesome, huh?" Lars started.

"Hm?"

"It was my idea to come here, was it not?" Lars asked, pounding a fist on his chest, "Lars comes through again."

Rhen laughed, shaking her head.

"You're too egotistical. But yes," Rhen replied, rolling her eyes, "Thank you, Lars."

Lars looked at the ground, feeling a nervous knot building in his stomach. Their conversation that had been interrupted in Brumwich... what had she been about to say? Amongst all the panic and disarray they had been through within the last hour, the thought had been repeating itself in his mind.

"In Brumwich. Um, what were you going to say to me?" Lars asked, rubbing the back of his neck in uncertainty.

Rhen glanced at him and then looked away.

"Well, I've been really thinking about what you talked to me about when we were on the northern isle," she began. Lars's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to remember what she was talking about. Rhen stopped walking, swinging her hands behind her back, "I don't know if I should mention this to you yet. I wasn't planning to, but... when this is done and I go back to Thais... I'm going to denounce my position as queen."

Lars's lips parted as he stared at her in amazement. She was looking down, looking tense as she lightly swayed her body from right to left.

The word that appeared in Lars's mind was 'finally.'

In a rush of excitement, he leaned down and wrapped his arms around Rhen's stomach. She gasped when she was suddenly lifted into the air, and dipped forward to grip his shoulders for balance.

"Wha-"

"You are amazing!" Lars exclaimed, swinging her around in the air, "You're finally doing what you want! I'm... I don't know what I am, but I'm proud!"

Rhen was stunned by the absolute joy on his face, and started laughing as he twirled her around.

"I didn't expect you to be _this_ happy."

"Of course I am," Lars replied, carefully setting her feet back on the ground, "Well, 'cause, you know, I was right _again!_"

Rhen's jaw dropped, and she had the urge to strangle his ego, but she smiled anyway. Then she noticed though he had set her back down on the ground, he still had his arms wrapped around her. She could feel her cheeks grow warm as she lay her curled hands on his chest.

"But, you shouldn't be so happy. Not yet at least. If we don't defeat Ahriman, my decision won't even matter," Rhen reminded, cringing.

Lars frowned at the mood change.

"I told you not to think like that. You know we're going to do this. Have a little faith in yourself, and in us."

"I do. I try," Rhen replied, with a humorless chuckle.

"Do I have to swing you around again to get you laughing?" Lars asked, looking so serious that Rhen snorted, a smile twitching on the edges of her mouth.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into his collarbone.

"I'm really glad Talia transported me to the eastern isle," Rhen sighed, relishing in the warmth emitting from his body. She felt his arms grow tighter around her, and she could hear the sound of his heartbeat against his chest.

A frightening thought hit her.

Rhen brought one hand back to the front, pressing it against his heart. Lars looked down curiously, a blush on his cheeks.

"Our hearts aren't going to beat when we take that potion," Rhen whispered, fascinated by the steady rhythm against her hand, "This... may be the last time I hear your heartbeat like this."

Lars decided at that moment, that there was no way he could ever love another person as much as he did the woman in front of him.

"I'll make sure you hear my heartbeat again," Lars muttered, a solid promise.

Rhen smiled.

Someone cleared their throat.

Lars and Rhen looked over in surprise, seeing Hector standing a few feet away looking uncomfortable. Before Lars could even give him a death glare, he held up his hands in surrender.

"Look, ok, I didn't want to come chasing after you two! But there's a red-haired woman at the house looking for Rhen," Hector said quickly.

Rhen and Lars looked at each other, and then Rhen's breath caught.

Red-haired woman?

In a flash, Rhen was tearing across the yard, near tripping over a tree root.

Could it be?

Could it possibly be?

And then Rhen saw her.

"Talia?" Rhen yelled, feeling tears collecting in her eyes.

Talia stood in front of the house, sighing in relief when she saw Rhen. The girl ran to her and jumped into a fierce hug.

"Hi, Rhen," Talia said with a smile, making Rhen sob. Talia gently smoothed Rhen's hair as Hector and Lars caught up.

"I'm... so glad... you're ok... where... have you been..." Rhen managed to get out through tears.

"Shh, calm yourself down before you talk. I'm fine," Talia replied, nodding her head in greeting when she saw Lars. Lars smiled and did the same.

"Who is this?" Hector whispered to Lars, quite surprised at the tearful reunion. He was also inwardly grateful that he had interrupted the two for a good reason, so Lars had no right to get angry with him later.

"Talia. She's the one who teleported Rhen to the eastern isle where you found her."

Hector's eyebrows rose in understanding.

Rhen pulled back, wiping at her eyes to try and put herself back together.

"Ok... seriously, where have you been?" Rhen asked with a deep breath.

"I have been hiding out in the Dreamworld. I'm sorry I didn't come to you sooner, but I needed time to recover, and then I needed to find you," Talia explained, bringing a hand up to her forehead, "I'm so glad you're safe."

"I'm glad _you're _safe," Rhen copied, more relieved than she could possibly express.

"You think you're in the condition to tell me what has happened?" Talia asked. Rhen laughed, waving her hand in the air.

"Of course, of course. Tears just might keep coming," Rhen spoke with a smile.

"We'll leave you two to that then," Lars said, motioning Hector to follow him inside the house.

Talia's expression grew serious.

"Do you know the situation in the Overworld?"

"I know about the miasma. We were almost caught in it," Rhen mumbled, grimacing at the memory.

"But do you know how much land it has covered?"

"We just came here, it'd say no more than two hours ago, and it was already taking over Veldt and the area around the Hungry Boar Tavern before we got here."

"It's speed has near doubled within the last five hours. It has almost engulfed all of the Wildwoods and has already hit Dirkon."

Rhen's heart sunk at the thought. Then she nearly had a heart attack.

"Wait, nearly all of the Wildwoods? That means it'll hit Veldarah and Ghalarah soon!" Rhen exclaimed, clutching at Talia's robe. Lars's family, Hector's family, everyone at the magic academy... they were all in grave danger! Surely they had made plans to evacuate?

"Exactly. I'm guessing you already have a plan, since you aren't freaking out. How do you plan to go back to the Overworld?"

Rhen told her about the undead potion. She then told her about all that had happened thus far, and how many swords they had collected.

"I don't know what we're going to do. There are still two swords out there somewhere," Rhen spoke, forlorn. Talia nodded.

"Yes, the sword of chaos was in the Dreamworld and the sword of shadows is in Thais."

Rhen's eyes widened.

"In the Dreamworld? Then-"

"Yes, I brought the sword of chaos with me. It's in the house," Talia assured. Rhen hugged her again.

"That's great! Then all we have to worry about it how to get to the sword of shadows. Why would we place the strongest sword in Thais?" Rhen asked with a puzzled frown.

"Because only you can handle that sword, Rhen. It should be kept somewhere near you," Talia answered.

"Well that logic backfired on us in this situation."

"You know no one had any idea this would happen," Talia spoke with a sigh, "Everything will be fine."

"That's what Lars keeps saying," Rhen replied, fiddling with her fingers.

"Speaking of Lars. I'm glad to see him with you. Though you two never got along very well, he was the first one that came to my mind in that moment," Talia said, referring to the time she had teleported Rhen.

"You couldn't have picked a better person."

Talia raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I was actually second-guessing myself on that decision for some time now."

"Hey Talia? Can I tell you something? You have to promise not to freak out on me," Rhen said. Now that she had announced her decision to one person, it felt a lot easier to tell others. And Talia should be one of the first to know anyway.

"You can tell me anything."

"I'm going to denounce my title as queen."

"... _what?_" Talia exclaimed disbelievingly, and then chuckled uneasily, "Rhen, please, don't joke about stuff like that."

Rhen frowned.

"I'm serious."

Talia was absolutely befuddled.

"You are just under too much pressure to think clearly right now. Don't make such huge decisions at a time like this."

"I should have made this decision a long time ago. Looks like I just needed Lars to make me understand my own feelings," Rhen explained with a shake of her head.

"_Lars_ told you to do this?"

"He didn't _tell_ me to. It's my own decision," Rhen said, close to snapping. She felt tense at the obvious rejection of the idea.

"Rhen, what about your people? What about Dameon? Do you know how disappointed he's going to be?"

"He shouldn't be. If I tell him it's something I truly want, he'll let me do it. He can continue running the kingdom; you know as well as I that he would do a perfectly wonderful job alone."

"But-"

"Look, I've said what I wanted to say. I was in a fairly happy mood and I want to keep it that way, so can we drop this?" Rhen begged, walking toward the house.

Talia followed, unsure, with a tight frown on her lips.

* * *

_It's been quite a while, but chapter 14 is up! And let me just say, the image of Lars swinging Rhen around and then the whole heartbeat scene... I see it in my mind and I SQUEAL. XD  
By the way, you can thank Chibi-Chic for this chapter, because she sent me a message begging me for an update, so I got right on it :3_


End file.
